Critical Point (Part 18 of the series)
by Justright
Summary: One of the charmed ones or is it one of their friends is being targeted by a very old and powerful evil. Then are Phoebe and Cole ever going to get married?
1. Default Chapter

CriticalPoint ****

Critical Point

**In a dark and mysterious place, where you could feel and almost see the hatred that feeds its inhabitants, voices like echoes can be heard:**

"It can't be…"

To which, this echoes:

"But it is…"

The voices rise and fall coming from nowhere and everywhere:

"What are we to do? They even have hope of a savior…"

Another:

"We got to stop it…"

Then:

"But how?"

And finally:

"There is a weak one, a door for us."

All together the voices:

"We will stop them; they cannot win."

Paul woke up with an uneasy feeling, the memories of very dark dreams lingering, even now. He was used to remember the worse of things when he let himself, but never had this invaded his dreams with such intensity. Deep down, a fear that he was always carrying started to rise again but he pushed it away.

"I won't let anything interfere now."

Joel could see himself and the little kid. For the last few weeks, he had been annoyed with him. They say that children are cruel sometimes, and they are right. The little boy had been on his back, telling him how weird he was. Joel felt the burning feeling of anger coursing through him even in his dreams. He woke up afraid and unsure of what was real and what was not.

"What was it I felt?" he told himself but somehow, he didn't want to know the answer.

A priest, who had known long ago what it was to be touched by evil, was turning and moaning in his sleep. He woke up with a start, wondering how those thoughts could have come back to haunt him. He had chosen goodness over evil, and he wanted nothing to change this.

Phoebe was dreaming of weddings and a wistful smile was floating on her mouth even in her sleep. The dream was interrupted by a loud scream from her sister, and it took her a moment to realize what was happening.

The night had been short, but it wasn't the lack of sleep that made her frown now.

Prue:

"Phoebe, you come out of there right now. We have something to talk about, right now…"She insisted.

Phoebe answered in a sleepy voice:

"Can't this wait?" 

Prue:

"No it can't," she says with a still very edgy voice.

Phoebe:

"What is it?"

Prue:

"How could you ask me that?"

Phoebe:

"Come on Prue, I'm exhausted, tell me."

Prue:

"How could you let us freeze our butts in that cemetery last night?"

Then Phoebe remembers and she grimaces even more, but Prue continues:

"We'll wait for you downstairs and you better have a good explanation."

Phoebe:

"Hey, how did you know that I was here?"

Prue:

"Please, my ears are still ringing…"

Phoebe, speaking to herself mostly, a little embarrassed:

"Oook…" Then to her sister, she says:

"We will be down soon."

Prue:

"You have better. "

She lies back down and looking at Cole, she realizes something else.

He keeps his eyes closed, but she is not fooled:

"Hey chicken, I know you're awake."

To this he just grins, but says nothing.

Phoebe:

"You have as much to do with this as I do, don't think I will take the rap for you, you devil," she says in a teasing manner.

At this he turns to her no longer pretending to sleep, but still grinning:

"Hey I thought we had resolved this last night, or was it this morning?"

Phoebe smiles:

"Yeah well, if you're going to let me take this by myself I'm going to doubt you again…"

Cole:

"I certainly wouldn't want that, although…"

Phoebe picks her pillow and throws it at him playfully.

He reacts by taking her by the waist and tickling her.

After a moment of that little game, he says:

"Ok well, I guess we will have to do this," he says, still playing with her hair "but does it have to be right now?"

Phoebe coming closer:

"I suppose that they won't be angrier because of one more hour, now will they?"

Cole pulls her to him:

"I'm sure that they won't…"

Piper and Prue had almost exhausted the grievances that they could find to talk about without their sister present, and now they were waiting impatiently finding an all new one:

Piper:

"The little brat, it's becoming a bad habit…"

Prue:

"Well, I'm not surprised that she is not in a hurry to come down. God knows what got in her head last night. But no matter what it was, it didn't justify leaving us there without any warning…"

Piper:

"Yeah, we could have caught our death and the little vixen was just having some fun… Now that bites!"

Prue:

"Let's wait and see, but not much longer though…"

Cole and Phoebe were finally coming downstairs, but they still hesitated before going to the dining room:

Cole, with a grimace:

"Are you sure that I need to be there?" 

Phoebe:

"Oh no you don't, we're in this together. From the look of you, one would think that you're more scared of them than from demons."

Cole replies half-serious:

"One might be right about that…"

Phoebe:

"Come on, they're not going to kill us…"

Cole:

"Speak for yourself!"

Phoebe:

"You know, technically we're already married, so they can't say much about this."

Cole:

"Somehow, I don't think that argument is going to help."

She grimaces dejectedly at his negative attitude, but says nothing more. Instead she takes his hand and pulls him toward the kitchen.

However, as they are walking, he has an odd sensation, like a memory of something that he has been trying to forget. It is a fleeting but very disturbing feeling, one he hopes, is only due to his apprehension at the conversation to come…

Joel is in the schoolyard, and he spots the little kid who has been teasing him. The anger inside him, he can feel mounting like a wave and he tries very hard to stop it. He has had trouble adapting to the life of a normal kid. True, he has found that his new family was very nice, and that being a part of it gave him a pleasant sensation of belonging. But he still can remember the time where nothing mattered to him. When he thought that he would have to fend for himself all of his life, and it still makes him feel insecure.

"There he comes again," he tells himself. "Why won't he leave me alone?"

As the little boy approaches him, he can already hear the jokes and suddenly, he doesn't want to hear them.

In spite of himself, he imagines the boy falling flat on his face and other kids laughing at him for a change. As he is looking and thinking about it, what he had imagined happens. The little boy seems to lose his balance for no reason and falls hard on the ground. Then he screams and cries in pain. Joel takes a step back, now ashamed of his thoughts, and wondering if he is responsible. The little boy is bleeding from his nose and has a bad scratch on his cheek. But as in his imaginings, some kids find it hilarious, and he is now so sure that it was his fault that he runs away…

When they got in the kitchen, Phoebe knew right away that it was going to be painful, unless she didn't give them the time to think about it.

So, she didn't wait:

"Hey we've got great news," she says to her sisters, who are still looking at her pretty miffed.

Prue:

"Great news, hey?"

Phoebe:

"Yes, we've just decided to get married" she answers very fast.

Her sisters are not sure that they heard right obviously, because they seem confused:

Piper:

"What?"

Phoebe:

"We're getting married," she says now with more enthusiasm.

Prue:

"You are?"

Phoebe had expected screams and recriminations, but certainly not the lack of reaction she was getting now:

"Yes we are. So?"

Prue hesitates, deflated for a moment:

"Well, I guess we should have expected it," she says, looking at her pregnant figures meaningfully.

Phoebe now smiles frankly, thinking that she had worried for nothing:

"And there I thought that you were going to make a scene."

Piper:

"Don't think that we do not have reservations about this. But this, we really did expect. On the other hand, we still want to know why you left us hanging last night. We were worried about you and that's how you treated us?"

Phoebe' smile disappears, and she casts a side look at Cole, but he isn't any help, still shocked by their lack of reaction to the news.

"All I can say is that I'm sorry, but it was kind of a spur of the moment thing and we," she insists on "we" making him squirm, "just didn't think of telling you then."

Piper:

"I'd imagine why."

Phoebe:

"I'm sorry ok?"

Prue:

"Ok then, so you ran away, so to speak, because you didn't want to tell us yet, is that it?"

Phoebe:

"Well more or less, yes."

Prue:

"We all know about the rest, and we really don't need to hear this, but you better never do this again."

Phoebe:

"Promise…"

Prue reluctantly comes to her:

"Ok then, I guess congratulations are in order," she says hugging her sister, but just nodding in Cole's direction.

Piper does the same with the same reservations but "at least," Phoebe thinks, "they didn't try to talk us out of it," which of course was what she was afraid of.

Prue trying to lighten the tension:

"So can we see it?"

Phoebe is a bit puzzled:

"See what?"

Piper:

"The ring you dope."

Phoebe laughs a little and is showing it to them, when the doorbell is heard.

Prue:

"I'll get it."

Meanwhile, Piper looks suspiciously from the obviously expensive ring to Cole:

"Where did you get that? It looks ancient."

Cole finally finds his voice, and manages to ignore the suspicion:

"It is, it belonged to my grand mother."

When he sees the look on her face, he ads rapidly:

"On my father's side."

Piper is obviously relieved:

"Well it is really beautiful."

Phoebe:

"Thanks sis," she says very grateful for their understanding.

But Piper ads:

"Now I just hope that the Elders won't get in the way…"

Phoebe makes a face:

"They can't stop me!" 

She says this with a firm tone of voice, but in the back of her mind, it brings back some of the worry she herself had about it.

Paul is coming back with Prue and says:

"Hey I hear that congratulations are in order?"

He goes to Phoebe to hug her affectionately, and that brings back the smile on her face, but when he shakes Cole's hand, he has a curious sensation. As if the dreams were coming back and right then, he knows that Cole has felt it too, amazingly enough. But they both decide to pretend that it didn't happen and to forget about it.

Instead, Cole asks:

"Hey what brings you here so early, no problem I hope?"

Paul, following his lead, just answers casually:

"Not at all, just missed this one," he says taking Prue by the waist and kissing her. Then he says:

"A whole week was too long; I couldn't wait until tonight."

What he doesn't tell them is that in fact, he had still been so troubled by his dreams, that he felt maybe some time with Prue was going to put it all in perspective, hopefully.

Prue:

"I missed you too. But I was supposed to work today."

Paul:

"Can't you just take the day off?"

Prue:

"As a matter of fact that would be the second day off in a row," she says, looking intently at her sister.

Phoebe squirms but says nothing for she still hasn't told Cole about her little spell. Although she suspects he already guessed that something was amiss the day before.

Paul has no clue what the little exchange is about, so he just offers:

"Well then maybe I could just invite you to have breakfast with me?"

Prue:

"That would be lovely. Let me grab my bag."

Paul smiles but inwardly the malaise still remains and he cannot understand why.

After they left, Phoebe and Cole leave the room too, but Cole stops before they get to the living room:

"Would you mind very much if I went away for a while."

Phoebe:

"Why?"

Cole:

"It's probably nothing, it's just I felt something weird earlier and I want to make sure there isn't anything to it."

Phoebe is now anxious:

"To what?"

Cole:

"I wish I could tell you, but don't worry, I'll be back soon," he says kissing her. Then he doesn't give her time to reply before shimmering.

Phoebe just gives a worrisome look at the spot he left empty. Her own worries are enough, but now she wonders if there isn't a worse thing coming. For Cole's bad feelings were rarely trivial…

She goes to sit heavily in the living room, now not so certain that the day has started as well as she thought and that is when Leo chooses to orb in:

"Hey Phoebe! Why the long face," he says noticing her worried look?

Phoebe:

"I'm not really sure, but there seem to be something amiss. Did you hear about a problem yourself?"

Leo:

"Well not really a big thing, but I wanted to talk to you yes."

Phoebe is now surprised for she didn't think that he had come to her on purpose.

A bit nervous, she asks:

"What is it?"

Leo:

"I don't want you to get too upset, but let's say that the Elders were listening earlier and they were a bit shocked by your decision."

Phoebe has a look of understanding even if she is unhappy about it.

Leo:

"Ok, they do not want to intervene but they gave me a message for you."

Phoebe fears what it might be:

"Come out with it Leo."

Leo:

"They said that if you really want to get married, they can't stop you, but they cannot allow it to be a handfasting." 

Phoebe takes a deep breath but doesn't interrupt.

Leo:

"There are other means you know," he says quickly to make her feel better, or so he hopes.

Phoebe:

"Like what?" She asks, a bit discouraged.

Leo comes to sit by her and softly says:

"Well there is still a civil marriage…"

Phoebe remembers her dream of the morning and just tells him that of all the kinds of weddings that she had imagined, this one wasn't part of it.

"I wanted my wedding to be special…"

She feels tears coming and tries her best to repress them.

Leo:

"There is also the traditional way…"

Phoebe almost laughs at this:

"Yeah! And what am I supposed to tell the priest? Would you mind marrying a witch to a half-demon?"

Leo:

"You don't really have to say."

Phoebe:

"Coming from you it's shocking."

Leo is a little embarrassed but still says:

"I just want you to be happy."

Phoebe:

"I know…"

But then an idea seems to form in her mind, and Leo wonders what just came to her.

Leo:

"What are you thinking about?"

Phoebe:

"Well, I don't want my marriage to be based on a lie and I was just thinking that I might know a priest to whom I could tell everything…"

Leo:

"Who?"

Phoebe:

"Oh someone we helped a couple years ago," she answers evasively. "I'm quite sure that he would at least listen."

Leo still looks at her questioningly but she keeps the rest of it to herself, and at last he gives up and goes to find Piper in the kitchen.

Leo:

"So, big news isn't it?"

Piper:

"You know already?"

Leo:

"I even had to give some bad news to Phoebe."

Piper:

"What?"

Leo:

"The Elders refuse to let them have a handfasting, although they say it's her choice to marry otherwise."

Piper:

"What a surprise," she replies sarcastically.

Leo is a little hurt but doesn't comment.

"Anyway, I think she got herself an idea."

Piper:

"Really? What is that?"

Leo:

"That's the thing, she wouldn't really tell me all, but she said she thought that she knew a priest…" He probes.

Piper thinks about it for a moment:

"Oh right! I wonder if that's going to work," and stillm she doesn't tell him what she means.

Leo:

"Would one of you finally tell me what's so special about that priest?"

Piper:

"What? You don't know? I thought that you were our whitelighter even when we didn't see you."

Leo:

"As you know, I have other charges and it would seem that I missed that part."

Piper:

"There was a novice that was about to be ordained priest a couple years ago, but he also happened to be half warlock and was trying to escape his evil side, so we helped him."

Leo:

"Ah now I see… Still he might not take too kindly at having a demon in his church, no matter what."

Piper:

"I hope he will for Phoebe, because thanks to the elders now she might not have the wedding she's always wanted."

Leo more conciliatory:

"Of course I understand, I was just wondering…"

Piper:

"I know." 

Brendan is still troubled by the awful nightmares of the past night. He truly thought that all of this was behind him when he became a priest, and it truly had mostly gone away. But now, for some reason, the thoughts were coming back. He even wondered if his brothers had not been brought back to torment him, but he put that idea aside rapidly, remembering full well their demise. "No," he tells himself, "those were just nightmares. Evil cannot touch me anymore…"

Paul had really enjoyed his time with Prue. So much so that he had almost forgotten the malaise he had awakened with. Now he was just telling himself that those must just have been nightmares, even though he still couldn't explain what happened when he met Cole that morning. 

He was about to dismiss it completely, when his cell phone rang…

Joel had been running for a while, then he had stopped, of all places, in front of a church. There, he had just stood for the longest time, at first still afraid, then puzzled by his own dark feelings of the morning. He then decided to ask for advice to the only one whom he knew could understand what he had felt. He had set out to find a phone.

Paul:

"Yes?"

Joel:

"Uncle Paul? I think that I did something bad."

Paul now completely alerted:

"What do you mean?"

Joel:

"Can I see you?"

Paul:

"Are you in school?"

Joel:

"Well, not really, I ran away but now I am at this place," which he describes, "and I really would like to talk to you."

Paul:

"Don't move, I'm coming."

Cole had not really gone very far, but he had not wanted her to see his doubts, not now that everything was going so well. When he had touched the book last night, he had felt that he had finally reached a new level in his reform. He had been so afraid to fall back into evil, that now those ugly thoughts had troubled him more than he cared to share with her.

Still sitting quietly in the mausoleum, he couldn't imagine what would make him change his mind. He was truly happy now, and completely sure that it would all work out because him and Phoebe were together…

In the dark place, the voices were louder and more assured now:

"He thinks he is safe, that we cannot touch him. Good makes them weak, doesn't it?"

Another disembodied voice replies in kind:

"Soon we will show him and all of them that they are not safe anywhere, we can't let them do this. Those of us who left have already gone too far, now it is time to bring them back in the fold."

Many more voices started laughing cruelly then.

Cole had finally made up his mind to return home, he was now almost certain that nothing would happen, but he still decided to take a walk to clear his thoughts on the subject. He was almost at the house, when he got a strange sensation, much worse than before. It felt like something had gone through him and left a trace of itself; but by the time he had realized it, he had also begun to feel its effects.

Phoebe had not lost time and, after making her decision, she had asked Piper for her car and just called ahead to father Brendan. This one had been pleasantly surprised to hear from them, since as he said, it had been a while. 

Phoebe took off for his church right after hanging up.

Paul arrived at the Corner Street Joel had described. At first he couldn't see him, but he wasn't all that worried. He couldn't believe that the boy, after all they had talked about, would revert to evil so easily. Even the bad experience he had had with the warlocks couldn't have been enough to deter him from the ultimate goal. That much he was certain of. Still there was the very slim possibility. He wouldn't have been the first one to slip. Although in all the other cases, which were still rare, there had been much more than a moment of anger to push them back. Lilith had been cursed by a life of slavery before turning to evil and only pure hatred accumulated over years of voluntary submission had broken her. At the time, she had thought that she could help the other slaves by staying with them, and ended up killing more then her share of slavers and ultimately slaves too, before getting her punishment. There was no comparison. He finally caught sight of the boy, who was sitting on a bench; his eyes fixed on a church. He seemed in contemplation and Paul sighed in relief. ****

Joel had been waiting for only a little while when he had felt a curious and very unpleasant sensation, as if something or someone had just passed through him. Now he felt like he was waiting for some kind of sign, but he had no idea of what it was.

Unbeknown to them, Phoebe had just pulled up on the other side of the church and was preparing to plead her cause to Father Brendan…

(End part 1)


	2. Critical Point (Part 2)

Critical Point (Part 2) ****

Critical Point

(Part 2)

Cole had just shimmered in the attic, and now he was advancing toward the book slowly. He had an uncertain look about him, but he still went on and was about to pick it up, when Piper entered the attic in turn.

"Cole, what are you doing here?"

At first, he didn't answer and he looked guiltily toward her, so she walked slowly toward him and asked again in a harder voice:

"What are you doing here?"

Cole finally answered:

"I don't want you to take it the wrong way but I came for the book…"

Piper breathes deeply, anxious now.

"Why?"

He just looked at her…

At the church, Phoebe just entered, and she is admiring the beautiful stained windows as she goes, when she feels the baby kick her rather hard. She puts her hand on him and just says affectionately:

"Hey little terror, you want to make sure that I don't forget about you?"

Then she continues to try and find the priest she came to see. She spots him near the altar and as she is about to go to him, the baby kicks again, harder this time. Phoebe actually felt pain then. 

"Hey," she says now, "what is it? You're not supposed to come out now, or this way for that matter."

The baby just kicks her again, just as hard. Somehow, Phoebe starts to wonder if it doesn't have something to do with this place, and that makes her very uncomfortable. No matter how many assurances she received to the contrary, she still has a remaining doubt about the baby's makeup. Not that she's afraid of him, just afraid for him. But right now, she doesn't feel very good about him: the closer she gets to the priest, the more the baby kicks and presently she has to sit on a bench to try and stop the pain.

The priest, seeing this, comes toward her, and now Phoebe has no doubts that for whatever reason, her baby is reacting to her proximity to him. 

However, as troubled as she is, she can't imagine why.

Outside, Paul had almost reached Joel when he suddenly felt a wave of evil course through him. It left him panting and a little scared. It felt like the long past, before he left the dark pit and the sensation was one he never thought that he would feel again. Then he becomes confused and has pain keeping his concentration. By the time he reached Joel, he wasn't in control of himself anymore.

In the church, the priest seems genuinely concerned for Phoebe, who just tries to breathe slowly and deeply. She wonders if giving birth will hurt that badly and frankly, right then, she wishes that she never had to go through with it.

Father Brendan:

"Hey Phoebe what's wrong?"

Phoebe:

"I don't know; the baby is kicking so much that it hurts. It never happened before."

Father Brendan:

"I wouldn't know about this; I hope nothing is the matter with it?"

Phoebe manages to smile at him between the cramps she's now having.

"I'm sure it's nothing." 

Father Brendan:

"Would you like a glass of water?"

Phoebe:

"That would be nice thank you."

The priest steps away from her and when he has gone out of the church, the baby's kicks stop.

Phoebe is grateful for the respite but still very puzzled:

"Come on you, it's just a priest." 

She feels a little ridiculous arguing with her unborn child but at this point, she has the strange sensation that he is trying to tell her something…

Outside, Joel and Paul have started walking slowly toward the church. Their expression is inscrutable, as if there was no longer any emotions in them.

The priest is at the faucet, preparing a glass of water as he offered, but he suddenly feels like something really bad has entered him. He shakes his head, trying to ignore the sensation, but it just deepens, and eventually he puts the glass down and turns purposefully toward the church proper again…

Phoebe is just wondering about what happened when the kicks start again and as she looks up, she notices the priest who is coming to her without a glass and with a blank expression that she finds scary for some reason. The priest comes closer, and then he moves quickly without warning and grabs her by the throat. Now Phoebe understands that something went terribly wrong, but there is just about nothing she can do except try to fight through the pain. With a great effort, she manages to kick him away and backs away from him, looking back and forth. The priest gets up and materializes a knife in his extended hand. He now advances on her, and Phoebe turns to run. But then she stops short, relieved at seeing Paul and Joel entering the church. She is running toward them, calling their names, when she notices the knives in their hands too, and the baby kicks her so hard that she folds in two.

"What is the matter with all of you," she manages to scream?

But none of them answer, and they simply continue to advance on her with the same blank expressions. Phoebe thinks that now her end is coming. But then she remembers something about her new power and is about to try and get Cole there, although she is not even sure of where he is, when he just shimmers in front of her. 

For a brief instant, she wonders if he has become like them, but then she notices his nervous expression and he just grabs her, shimmering right away with her.

The moment they reappear in the attic, Phoebe sees that Piper and Prue are already there, apparently waiting for her anxiously.

The look of relief on their faces tells her that they know something about what happened but they do not lose any time in explanations:

"Come on Phoebe, we've got to get out of here," says Prue in an unusually nervous tone of voice that just makes her more anxious.

Phoebe:

"Why? How?"

Cole:

"Please we'll explain later. Right now we must get out of this world, fast."

Now Phoebe is even more confused, but she still lets him guide her to her sisters, who are ready to chant a spell:

"Through the Veil of Time and Space

The Faith pushes us out of Place

Out of this World we will become

Bring us there, Where none will come"

As they were reciting the spell, the three that were after Phoebe at the Church appeared in front of them and they disappeared just as Paul and the others were about to attack them.

In an instant they have been transported in an uninviting forest, with dark trunks and a thick canopy. The vegetation is all wrong, and Phoebe wonders if they didn't fall in worse a situation then they have left.

Prue is just standing there, still looking in the direction she was before they appeared here. She seems to still be seeing them, and she can't wrap her mind around the concept of Paul and Joel trying to kill them. Even Brendan, whom she knew and helped to save before…

When they finally are back from the surprise, all the girls turn to Cole, wondering where he brought them and most of all why.

Prue:

"Ok now we're here whatever here is… What happened?"

Cole:

"I really am not sure exactly. All I know is that somehow many who have been touched by evil at one point or another are now after you.

And I have a feeling that it also extends to warlocks and demons alike, or at least it might soon…"

A voice that they find vaguely familiar makes them turn in block.

The ghostly figure of Lilith:

"I see that you got the first part right, now maybe I can tell you why."

The others are slowly backing away from her, unsure of what she is doing there. Cole, in particular, was certain that this place would not be found anytime soon.

Lilith, turning to him:

"Oh I know what you're thinking, I simply tagged along for the ride."

Then when she understands that they still don't trust her:

"Ok, I admit our first encounter wasn't very friendly, but I assure you that I came here to help."

Cole:

"How do we know you are not part of whatever it is that's happening?"

Lilith:

"I could ask the same thing of you."

Cole:

"I'm not really sure why, but it didn't take on me."

Phoebe turns to him with wide eyes:

"What do you mean?"

Cole:

"Remember, I told you this morning that I had felt something weird?"

Phoebe just acquiesces, so he continues:

"Well it came back much stronger, and for a moment there I thought it would take control of me, but it didn't. It's like it came through me but didn't take."

Lilith:

"I might have an explanation, if you'll let me."

Prue:

"If you know anything about this, please do. But we are watching you."

Lilith smiles mockingly:

"And what exactly would you do to me if I wasn't behaving?"

Prue cannot imagine what she would do but she still thinks really hard about it, which brings another amused smile to the ghost.

Lilith:

"Now I can see what he sees in you, I guess…"

Prue is a bit put off by this, but she just waits for her to talk.

Lilith:

"Ok, well about you," she says to Cole, "I think that your baby made you a bigger gift than you thought."

Cole is puzzled, but doesn't argue the point.

Phoebe, on the other hand, picks up on it:

"I think he tried to warn me…"

Cole:

"How?"

Phoebe:

"Well let's just say that I just got a taste of how much it can hurt to give birth."

Cole:

"Are you ok?"

Phoebe:

"I am now. So I figure that he has nothing against her."

Lilith:

"That's good to know."

Piper:

"What are we fighting against?"

Lilith:

"Well that's the whole point here, you are fighting just about every evil beings that were in the vicinity of the spell, or for that matter," she ads seeing Prue about to protest, "anybody, like Cole said, who has been touched by evil. By the way, how did you figure that you were fine?"

Cole:

"I went and tried to touch the book again. It worked."

Phoebe huddles closer to him now, but still stays very attentive to the ghost.

Prue:

"You have yet to tell us how and why?"

Lilith:

"Remember what Paul told you about the origins? I think you also heard him mention the messenger?"

Prue:

"Yes but I kind of figured it was something between the two of you."

Lilith looks intently toward Phoebe and Cole:

"No it definitely has to do with you and them."

She says this still indicating Phoebe.

Phoebe:

"What do you mean?"

Lilith:

"If I have to spell it out, and although that wasn't supposed to be revealed…"

Phoebe:

"What," she asks although she already knows the answer?

Lilith:

"Yeah you're little one is the one that we're waiting for. But his time has definitely not come, although he obviously already has some powers and insights." 

Then, when she sees that they are not going to comment, as they are a little awed:

"I guess that your little wedding experience in the past left something of him in both of you and that has been your grace."

Prue:

"So, who is after us?"

Lilith:

"The origins…"

They all get very silent all of a sudden, but the silence is quickly interrupted by a roaring sound, too near for comfort.

Cole:

"I think that we should move this discussion elsewhere…"

Phoebe:

"What was that," she asks, getting anxious again?

Cole:

"A dragon…"

Prue:

"You brought us in a world with dragons?" 

Her expression is just between angry and astonished.

Cole:

"That's the last place anybody will look for us."

Now lets move on, there is a cave not far from here, we should be safe there."

He is looking nervously in the direction of the noise, which is getting louder for every moment.

They do not need to be told twice, and they follow him quickly. Behind them, the dragon is approaching rapidly and they would never have made it if Piper had not been able to freeze it, at least for a little while.

When they got to the cave, they found out it's a damp place with very little amenities, but Cole rapidly took care of starting a fire and they all sat waiting for the rest of the explanation.

Lilith:

"Well, as you know now," she starts, "the origins are in fact the actual fallen angels in our world. Fortunately, they do not reach here or any other parallel universes, although I'm sure that their equivalents are just about everywhere. Anyway, they finally got the message about your baby, or that is what I assume, and they have decided to stop his birth. Using their connection to wizards and to a certain extent to the demons and warlocks that they are using against you. They have touched every evil around you, just waiting for you to meet one of them, and then they activated them. I have a feeling that they didn't anticipate your resistance," she says to Cole "which is probably the only reason why Phoebe is still alive, along with the baby of course."

Piper:

"Why do you think that they are just after the baby and not us?"

Lilith:

"The origins do not care about the outcome of your fight with the demons. If necessary, they could start over. They simply let their creation do its own. On the other hand, they do care that we could ascend to the heavens thanks to the messenger.

Don't ask me to explain everything, at any rate Paul will take care of your memories about him, when he judges that it is necessary. It's too much of a burden for you or the child to know all that."

Cole:

"What makes you think he can get us to forget."

Lilith smiles:

"Paul alone might not be able to, but the child will not want to remember, at least not until he is ready and he will help. As you have yourself made the experience, his powers far exceed yours."

Prue:

"It's all nice and good, but what can we do about them?"

Lilith:

"I suggest that you wait it out for a day or so. That will leave time for most of the other evil looking for you to have started searching on other worlds. But for the matter of Paul and Joel, they will be waiting for you and they are the ones you have to deal with."

Piper:

"How can you be so sure?"

Lilith:

"That's what I would do. And they are not complete zombies, they both know that you will try to stop this."

Prue:

"And what about the others?"

Lilith:

"If you free Paul and Joel of the origins' influence, or kill them, it will be over…"

She ads seeing their reactions.

"I also hope that it won't come to that. But if Paul were himself now, he would not hesitate to give his life for the baby. And so would Joel. Remember," she continues "that killing them would have the effect of freeing them too." 

"But," she continues rapidly, "we will try to avoid that."

Prue:

"And what guaranties do we have that it won't happen again?"

Lilith:

"As Paul and probably Cole here told you, we learn from our mistakes. It won't happen again. The origins found a hole. Maybe it was Joel and his brush with evil. For whatever reason, we will block it afterward."

The roar is heard again, and they all get closer together around the fire.

Phoebe:

"You couldn't have found a more lovely setting for a vacation…"

Cole:

"Maybe you would have preferred the wizards?"

She makes a face but agrees reluctantly that he didn't have much of a choice.

Piper:

"Why did you make us use the spell anyway?"

Cole:

"They could have tracked me. And frankly, there was no time to make many trips. As you have seen yourselves. And they would have killed all of us no matter, as a bonus and to keep Phoebe from escaping."

Piper:

"What about Leo?"

Cole:

"I'm sorry about that, but I really don't think that he is in danger from any of them. He doesn't know where we are and cannot help them."

It only partly reassures her but now they are tired and decide to try to sleep, for that's all there is to do in this place.

Lilith:

"I'll watch out for you."

Prue is not very comfortable with this:

"How can we be sure that you are on our side?"

Lilith:

"If you believe anything, believe this: I'm on his side," she says indicating the baby.

Prue figures it will have to do, and the emotions of that day are a bit too much for her. They did not sleep very well that night at any rate, for the animals there were very noisy.

At some point in the night Phoebe woke up without exactly knowing why until she realized that Cole wasn't there.

She got up just to see him return:

"Where were you?"

Cole:

"One of those animals was a little too close for comfort."

Phoebe:

"And?"

Cole:

"Now he is barbecue…"

Phoebe:

"Well don't try that with Kit…"

Cole:

"That thing had as much in common with kit than a tiger.

Come on, go back to sleep." 

Phoebe:

"Easier said then done, I thought that the city was noisy, but it doesn't hold a candle to this place."

Cole:

"At least you're safe. I got very scared for a moment."

Phoebe:

"I know, me too." 

They just hold each other for a while, and then she tries her best to sleep.

In the morning they were awakened by a loud noise just outside the cave.

Cole:

"Oh oh! I think that they found the place." 

Prue:

"They can't get in now can they?"

Cole:

"They can't get in but they might do some damage. Maybe now, you should figure out what spell to use to end the possession." 

Lilith:

"I agree that you should hurry, that beast seems really hungry…"

Piper grumbles sarcastically:

"Said by the ghost."

Prue:

"But won't wizards be able to protect themselves against our spell?"

Lilith:

"Let me take care of that. That's why I came with you."

After about 15 minutes of nerve-racking work, the girls are satisfied that at the very least they have a working spell.

Lilith:

"I still suggest that you prepare to fight, just in case. And I would have preferred that she stayed behind…"

She said this indicating Phoebe.

Phoebe:

"No, we will need the power of three to do this. And we can't stay here forever obviously," she says referring to the terrifying noise, now almost deafening.

Lilith's ghostly figure seems to sigh, but agrees:

"Then it is time to return. I truly think that most of the others will be gone by now." 

The girls huddle to chant the return spell:

"Through the veil of time and Space

We let the Faith push us out of Place

Out of this World and to our own

Bring us there where we belong"

The return trip was as quick as their trip to the strange world, and that was a good thing because as they departed, they saw part of the cave collapsing.

At that moment, they found themselves alone in the attic, giving them some time to formulate a plan. Then, they set out to find their pursuers before these discovered that they had come back.

As Lilith had told them though, it didn't take them long, since they were waiting for them downstairs.

The moment that she saw them, Lilith discreetly moved behind them.

Paul started in a strange and disembodied voice:

"We knew that you couldn't resist coming back and try to save your friends, but you should have known better."

The priest had stayed with them, for some reason, and Cole thought it a better idea to take care of that one first. So, he shimmered him away. As promised though, he just fought him without killing him, which made things rather difficult, as he told them later.

The girls for their part, just waited for the ghost's signal.

Lilith was approaching them slowly from behind, while Paul's strange voice continued:

"Now we will take care of the little brat before it had a chance to save those traitors."

He lifted his hand toward Phoebe and that is when Lilith chose to encircle them with her ethereal, yet powerful body.

Paul:

"What is that?"

Lilith:

"You forgot the dead ones…"

The girls didn't wait any longer for Lilith had told them that she couldn't hold the both of them for very long. In fact, they could see them trying to free themselves right from the start and almost succeed. 

"Leave these Shells we so demand,

Out of Body and Out of Mind,

Never Again will Hear nor See,

We banish Thee, We banishThee!"

For a long moment the girls thought that they had not succeeded, as they saw the two of them struggle still. But then, they saw many shadows coming out of them, and suddenly entering the ground with a whooshing noise, then nothing. Paul and Joel just fell where they had stood and lost consciousness, as Lilith released them.

Prue wanted to go to them but Piper and Phoebe warned her to wait.

Lilith finally confirmed that they were free, but would probably stay unconscious for a while.

Not long after this, Cole returned with the priest, who was not very happy. Apparently, he had stayed wide-awake after the exorcism; and had realized that he was fighting a demon, to his great displeasure.

The both of them were badly bruised and Cole left the priest with them, still fuming, while he went to the living room, where Paul and Joel were still fast asleep.

Phoebe:

"Father Brendan, I'm sure that it's a little unsettling for you…"

The Priest:

"You could say that. What is the matter with you all?"

Prue:

"Hello Brendan," she says ignoring his protests.

"Why don't you come with me, and I'll bandage these wounds, then we can explain at least some of it."

The Priest:

"Like the fact that you have a demon in this house?"

Phoebe squirmed and after he left with Prue, she said to Piper:

"Well those origins whatever may not have succeeded in their plans, but they did succeed in shooting my wedding plans to hell…"

Piper:

"Oh come on, we don't know that for sure yet."

Lilith who stuck around this time, comes to Phoebe:

"May I?" She says indicating the baby.

Phoebe is a bit unsure, but lets her anyway. 

Lilith just comes close and extend her own body inside her, which makes Phoebe regret accepting. However, nothing happens, and Lilith seems really happy. Then, she says:

"Don't worry about your wedding plans, I have a feeling that it will all work out."

Phoebe:

"How?"

Lilith just waves good bye and vanishes without answering.

Leo had orbed in just a moment ago and was happy to see them back. Then he asked Phoebe to come with him in the living room for a little talk:

"Phoebe I think that you will be pleased."

Phoebe:

"How come?"

Leo smiles:

"The elders have revised their opinions and, in light of what happened, they agreed to the handfasting after all."

Phoebe starts smiling weakly at first, not believing that they changed their mind so quickly:

"Really?"

Leo just acquiesces and she hugs him happily before going to Cole, who grimaces when she does the same.

Phoebe:

"Sorry."

Cole:

"That's ok. I'm just happy that you are."

Phoebe' smile widens.

"Perfectly happy."

Although hearing the priest coming back, she says:

"Well almost perfectly," she winks.

He stays just long enough for Prue to tell him that everything will be fine now and leaves with some relief.

Cole:

"Well I guess tolerance didn't come with his calling," he says a bit sarcastically.

Prue:

"Are you sure that you don't have some of that evil left there?"

Cole with a smile:

"Bring me that book and I'll swear on it," he says now confidently.


	3. Till Death Do Us Part...

Till death do us Part… ****

Till death do us Part…

Phoebe had gone to bed very excited, and had not being able to find sleep yet, no matter how tired she truly was. The thought of her impending wedding was just too big right now. 

Phoebe:

"I can't believe it's going to work out…"

Cole:

"Apparently."

When Phoebe notices his lack of enthusiasm, she turns to him, slightly upset:

"Hey, aren't you happy?"

Cole:

"Of course I am… Phoebe I'm just a little tired," he says, trying to fight sleepiness.

Phoebe:

"I would have thought that you would be just as amazed as I am to the Elders' permission."

Cole:

"Baby, I am I swear. But for tonight, could we just sleep," he asks, trying to pull her toward him.

She still resists:

"I'm too wired to sleep." Then she asks again:

"Are you sure that you're happy about this?"

Cole smiles indulgently and moves toward her to kiss her, then he says:

"It may not look like it, but inside I'm jumping up and down," he says a bit teasingly.

Phoebe grimaces, then the smile is back on her face and she kisses him again before getting up.

"Where are you going?"

"I got to get up. I can't stay still."

Cole:

"Don't go too far…"

Phoebe:

"Good night."

Cole, almost asleep already:

"Good night."

Phoebe just goes to the living room and she sits there by herself, with a dreamy look about her. After a while of imagining the wedding of her dreams though, she becomes pensive, and even a little troubled.

She is so happy now, and usually that is when things go wrong. The thought is way too unpleasant. She wants only one thing at the moment and it is to start her life with Cole and their baby.

So why does she feel like it's all too good to be true?

Her mother's voice startles her:

"Hello my girl," she says softly. "You look troubled?"

Phoebe:

"Mom! How did you know I needed to talk to someone now?"

Patty:

"I'm your mom, even though I wasn't always there for you," she says, with a little guilty look.

Phoebe:

"It wasn't your fault…"

Patty:

"So," she says with her smile returning, "what is the problem?"

Phoebe:

"Well my problem is that there isn't one."

Patty:

"That doesn't make much sense."

Phoebe:

"I'm sorry, it's just that being happy has never lasted very long for me, and I'm afraid that something is going to happen."

Patty:

"So you really are happy?"

Phoebe smiles:

"Oh yes, really. I love him so much Mum, and we had so much to go through to get to this point…"

Patty:

"I know," she says in a soothing voice. "But are you sure about this? I mean, it's not going to be easy…"

Phoebe:

"There is nothing that I want more…"

Patty:

"Then you'll make it work, if I know you at all, I know that much."

Phoebe smiles and wishes that she could just hug her one more time.

As if she read her mind:

"I wish that too. Who knows, maybe at your wedding?"

Phoebe:

"Oh I hope so too!"

Patty:

"Good night my sweet."

Phoebe:

"So soon?"

Patty:

"I have to, but I'm watching over you always," she says before disappearing.

Even if it was short, Phoebe feels better now, and she finally decides to go to sleep. However, as she gets to their room, all her worries return when she thinks that she saw a fleeting shadow in the corner, who just disappeared. Still, she is so tired that she thinks she might just have imagined it and rejects the thought, seeing that Cole is still asleep and nothing seems to be the matter.

Meanwhile, Paul has stayed at the house, and he has not found sleep either. Prue wakes up as if she sensed something. Then she sees him pacing the room:

"What is it?"

He is a little startled by her question:

"Oh I thought that you were asleep, I'm sorry."

Prue:

"No that's ok, just tell me."

Paul:

"Oh well it's that thing about me trying to hurt you and your sisters…"

Prue:

"We know that it wasn't you."

Paul:

"Still, it doesn't make me feel better. I never thought that I would be vulnerable to mind control, no matter who exercises it."

Prue:

"From what you and your ghost friend told us, you didn't have much of a choice…"

Paul comes to sit beside her:

"You're not having second thoughts about me?"

Prue smiling:

"If I did, you wouldn't be here. And at any rate, you're not the first one in that house who gets possessed and does the worse, far from…"

Paul:

"I guess," he answers hesitantly.

Prue takes his face in her hands and kisses him softly:

"I do trust you. Really!"

Paul smiles now:

"Cole was right, you are special."

Prue lifts an eyebrow:

"Cole?"

Paul almost laughs:

"He once told me that he thought you would be more receptive than I anticipated to my secret. I must admit that I didn't believe him at the time…"

Prue:

"And now?"

Paul:

"In this case, he was right on the mark," he says taking her in his arms.

Prue:

"You know that I had my doubts, but I'm sure now."

He smiles and they roll on the bed, forgetting all about the last day's events for a while.

Downstairs, in the dark living room, the shadow is walking about. It looks like the dark ghost of a person, and the shadow looks around, as if searching for something. Then it homes in on the coffee table and materializes as a woman of about 30 years of age in appearance, but with a severe expression and an old fashion hairdo. She picks up a book and opens the cover. Right away she smiles at what she saw and she returns to her shadow like appearance with the book still in hands.

After only a moment longer, she disappears completely. Almost immediately, a whitelighter orbs in. He seems disappointed when he doesn't find what he was obviously looking for. He is preparing to orb out when Leo calls from the stairs:

"What are you doing here?"

The man:

"Nothing, I'm going now."

Leo:

"You shouldn't be here."

The man:

"I know I'm going," and he orbs out immediately.

Leo turns pensively to go back upstairs.

The next morning, short of a few sore muscles, everyone is in a joyous mood. 

Paul:

"Hey guys I think that this calls for some kind of celebration, don't you think?"

Phoebe:

"To which: 'That' are you referring to," she asks with a smile?

Paul smiles:

"Well _that_," he insists on the word, "would be your engagement of course, and the fact that we are all in one piece after this little ordeal."

Cole:

"Great idea! When were you thinking of doing this?"

Paul:

"Well I thought that time should not be wasted, and that we should go out tonight. I'll make the reservation." 

Phoebe:

"Oh and I have nothing to wear."

Prue:

"Phoebe! You're wardrobe is overflowing as it is."

Phoebe:

"Not really, I can't fit in more than half of my stuff. I need to go shopping now."

Prue:

"I don't think it's very reasonable, your budget is very tight…"

Cole intervenes:

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this."

This brings all of them about:

Piper:

"Sorry for asking but: with what?"

Cole:

"With my own money, what do you think?"

Prue:

"And just where did that money come from," she asks suspiciously. "I didn't think that you were working or anything."

Cole is a little hurt:

"Prue I resent the implications of what you're saying."

Phoebe asks a little more diplomatically:

"But I didn't think you had any…"

Cole:

"Well goes to say that you don't know everything about me…"

Phoebe:

"So?"

Cole:

"I get the feeling that you all think it's some kind of dirty money," he says with irritation, "but you're mistaken. I have an inheritance that I barely touched, so it's more than enough for me to take care of you."

Phoebe is astounded, as are the others:

"You what?"

Cole now smiles a little:

"From my father…"

Phoebe:

"And you didn't think of telling me that before?"

Cole comes closer and with a teasing smile, he says:

"I didn't want you to marry me for my money…"

She slaps him on the shoulder, but she is still a bit amused.

Piper:

"I guess that explains the expensive ring…"

Cole:

"Yeah," but he doesn't elaborate.

An uneasy silence takes place and everybody seems to concentrate on the breakfast. Then Paul continues:

"Ok then, is it a plan?"

Prue:

"I guess."

Paul:

"Perfect, I'll make the reservations and let you know the time."

Cole:

"So Phoebe, did you want to go shopping this morning?"

She grins:

"How much shopping can I expect to be able to do?"

Cole responds in kind:

"Is that an inquiry on what I own?"

Phoebe:

"Well if we're going to live together…"

Cole:

"Why don't we talk about this later," he says, feeling the curious look of the others on them?

Piper just says:

"Figures."

They all start laughing.

Later that morning, Phoebe is having a great time shopping, so much so that Cole feels he has to say:

"Are you about done?"

Phoebe turns to him, unsure now:

"Why? Do you regret offering?"

He comes to her and takes her in his arms with an indulgent smile:

"Never. But I might be a little tired of this though. I can't say that it's an activity I practiced much."

Phoebe smiles:

"Well, that's the suffering of a husband's life, you should get use to it."

Cole:

"If that's all it takes, I guess I can make do…"

Phoebe looks at him with an alluring smile:

"Well there are still perks…"

Cole:

"I'm counting on the reward."

She laughs before returning to the changing room to try yet another outfit, and he sighs in spite of himself.

Behind one of the clothes rack, the whitelighter from the night before is observing them intently. He seems very troubled.

However, he has to step further behind the rack when Cole looks his way suddenly.

Cole just had a weird sensation; a pain in the pit of his stomach that usually tells him something is amiss. Yet, looking about, he cannot find anything that remotely looks dangerous, and he imagines that it might be some case of the jitter or just plain boredom. He shakes his head when the sensation goes away, and almost laughs at himself.

When Phoebe returns and goes straight to the next rack, he forgets all about the bad feeling, and just sighs again, while sitting down to wait some more…

Behind the rack, there is no trace of the whitelighter…

At the manor, Piper and Prue are discussing the latest revelations:

Prue:

"Are we so sure that he is telling the truth about the money?"

Piper:

"Really Prue, one would think that you would have gotten over your doubts by now, particularly after what happened in the last couple of days."

Prue:

"Still, do you really think that he would tell us if the money was coming from his evil past?"

Piper:

"I choose to believe that he has become decent enough not to do this. And after all, he didn't really have to tell us. None of us suspected."

Prue:

"Yeah maybe you're right. Although I always wondered where he found the designer clothes that he was wearing."

Piper:

"And everything else…"

Prue:

"Well I suppose that no matter what the truth is, we will never know for sure. It's kind of a relief though."

Piper:

"How so?"

Prue:

"Well I didn't want to say but…"

Piper:

"Oh I see."

Prue:

"It's not a comment on Leo per say."

Piper:

"It does seem like it."

Prue:

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, it's just well, you would expect a husband to at least participate in the family income…"

Piper is very miffed now:

"He participates plenty."

Prue:

"I'm sorry I brought it up. I know it was stupid of me."

Piper:

"That's ok I guess, and yes it's good that she doesn't have to pick up the tab."

Prue:

"Imagine that. I'm sure it never occurred to her before."

Piper:

"Probably not."

Their conversation is interrupted by Phoebe's laughter. She obviously just came back from a long shopping session.

The girls' eyes grow wide at the number of packages she's bringing back.

Phoebe:

"What? Can't a girl indulge herself once?"

Prue:

"Well I hope that you won't do this every day, because the inheritance won't last…"

Phoebe pulls her tongue at her but her smile returns when Cole enters with yet more stuff…

Cole, who notices the other's stare:

"Don't ask…"

Phoebe's smile disappear at this:

"Hey if you're all going to gang up on me?"

Cole:

"Not at all, I just meant that I had enough for today, don't you?"

Phoebe, not fooled at all, just says:

"For today," to which he grimaces a little.

Phoebe:

"Just kidding…"

He chuckles, then offers to carry the packages upstairs.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll have a nap afterward, all this waiting is tiresome."

Phoebe:

"That's fine, I've got to go to school anyway."

When he has left with an armful, Phoebe goes to the living room, intent on retrieving her schoolbooks.

She calls to her sisters:

"Hey did you see my treaty on child psychology? I was sure that I left it in the living room."

Piper comes to look too:

"Haven't seen it in here. And I'm sure that it wasn't there this morning when I came in."

Phoebe is puzzled:

"Well maybe I left it at school after all, it's been a hectic couple of days. I forgot."

Prue, who just came in too:

"Yes that and all the shopping…"

Phoebe:

"Oh don't start again."

Prue:

"Alright. It's just that it seems so extravagant."

Phoebe:

"Come on, it's been so long since I've been able to shop without worrying, and I must say, maybe I was overcompensating a little."

Prue:

"Why?"

Phoebe:

"Oh well, I'm still a little worried that something bad will happen."

Piper:

"Be positive sis. Whatever happens, I'm sure you can take care of…"

Phoebe:

"Funny. That's what mom said last night."

Prue:

"You saw Mom?"

Phoebe:

"Just for a moment, but I think that I needed it." 

She smiles at the thought.

Cole cannot sleep, he just keeps thinking of what happened at the store. He still believes that it was nothing, but just like Phoebe, he has gotten used to trouble intervening at the most inopportune moments.

The thought of her brings back the smile on his face. She looked so happy that morning, although maybe a little extravagant, he tells himself. Still, with all that's happened, he now was very happy to be able to do this for her. He had yet to process the fact that things were really going forward. "Who would have thought a year ago that I would find myself all giddy at the idea of marrying a witch? Most certainly not me." But as incongruous as it might have seemed then, he really thinks that it was meant to be. And he finally falls asleep with a lingering smile on his lips.

Right then, the shadowy form appears in the room. She approaches him cautiously, and even in his sleep, he becomes agitated.

She hesitates, but when he doesn't wake up, she comes closer, and finally materializes just a few feet from him. 

In a low and hard voice, she says:

"Soon you'll be coming back to me, whether you want it or not…"

She waves her hand over him, and he quiets down.

Then, she goes to the night table to pick up a brush and disappears again.

By the end of the afternoon, Phoebe was done in school, and was expecting Cole to come and pick her up, but after 30 minutes of waiting she gave up. She almost called, but she figured that he probably was busy preparing for the evening and decided on taking the bus instead…

Meanwhile, Cole was just waking up with a start, wondering how he could have slept all this time. He had had a weird dream just now, one that had left him unsettled. But again, he put it aside thinking that it probably was just that: a bad dream. Then he remembered he had promised Phoebe to pick her up and saw that he was very late. He almost decided to just shimmer there but decided against it. Then he hurried out of the room…

Phoebe had been waiting for a few minutes when she began to feel anxious for no apparent reason. Nobody was around except a black lady in colorful clothing, coming toward the bus stop. There was really no reason for her to worry about a thing, she told herself. Then, the black woman just stood beside her, and without any warning, she pricked her with some kind of needle. Phoebe immediately felt dizzy and had no time to react before the paralysis set. 

She felt herself fall to the ground, seeing the woman smiling, then everything went dark…

Cole had arrived to the school, but of Phoebe he found no trace, so he started to think that she might have gone by other means. He was almost ready to leave, when he noticed a woman lying down on her back at the bus stop. He could see even from a distance that the woman was pregnant, and also that the clothes she was wearing seemed familiar. He moved anxiously toward her and, when he understood that something was really wrong, he started running to her. When he got there, at first he thought that she had just lost consciousness, but as he was trying to revive her, he noticed how cold she felt for the warm afternoon. And then he began to fear the worst and tried to shake her screaming her name, but she wouldn't react. Finally, he forced himself to check her pulse but there was none. Leo just orbed in then to see him hug her and cry angrily. Leo ran to them, pushing Cole aside to try and heal her, but it was too late, she was dead. 

Cole:

"Why doesn't it work?" He asks in a sharp tone of voice. When Leo doesn't answer, choking on his own grief, Cole gets up and takes his arm rudely:

"Why doesn't it work" he repeats again, almost hysterically.

Leo finally extirpates himself from his hold and backing up a little, he says:

"I can't, she's dead…"

Cole looks at him as if to hit him, and for a moment Leo thinks that he really will, then he just turns to her and picks her up without a word. He then just shimmers with her before Leo could protest.

Leo orbs back to the mansion with tears in his eyes. He is trying to understand himself what happened. There was no warning. Not even a sign of a warlock or demon in the vicinity. And during his attempt at healing, he couldn't feel any illness that could have caused her death, yet she truly was, he could sense it.

Piper saw him and immediately knew that something was wrong.

"Leo? What happened?"

Leo:

"Piper…"

He has to take a deep breath, which feels painful to him, then he tells her:

"It's Phoebe…"

Piper begins to panic:

"Leo, what's with Phoebe?"

He comes to her and takes her in his arms before finishing, and by the time he told her, she already knew and had started crying inconsolably.

After a moment, she found enough voice to ask:

"How?"

Leo:

"I don't know. I found her with Cole not far from the school and she was already dead."

Piper:

"Where is she now?"

Leo hesitates:

"Cole took her with him. He was devastated. I don't know where he took her..."

They look up when they hear a noise coming from upstairs to see Cole just coming out of the room.

His face has a wooden expression and without a word, he just walks down the stairs and ignoring them, gets out of the house.

They are so surprised, that neither of them reacts right away, and then they climb the stairs heavily. Phoebe is lying down on the bed, lifeless.

Piper runs to her in tears and takes her hand, but when she feels her skin so cold, she knows that there isn't anything else that they can do.

She kneels beside the bed and cries for a long time…

Three days later, the girls are getting ready for the funerals and Piper looks in Prue's direction with a pained expression. Ever since she told her about Phoebe, she has waited for a reaction, but Prue has been simply very quiet, and Piper fears that she is refusing to accept what happened. Paul has stayed by her side throughout the 3 days, but just like Piper, he doesn't know what to tell her. He wonders why she can't just cry. In a rare moment of animation, she turns to Piper and Leo and asks brusquely:

"Where is he? He hasn't showed up in the last three days…"

Leo:

"I suppose that he needs time alone, but it might be a good idea to try and find him, if only to get him to come to the funerals…"

Piper:

"And which one of us will do that? He hasn't given a sign in those 3 days, and I'm worried on what it might signify…"

Leo:

"All the more reason not to leave him alone now. I think that he has more than proven his desire of staying on the side of good, but if left alone…"

Piper:

"But what if her death changed this," she asks, choking on her tears at the returning thought of her sister?

Leo wraps his arms around her and continues:

"We should at least try."

Prue:

"I will go."

Leo:

"Prue, are you sure? You might not be the one to talk to him right now."

Prue:

"And why is that?"

Leo hesitates:

"Maybe because you don't seem to deal with what happened very well," he finally says, expressing the thoughts of everybody present.

Prue:

"Maybe on the contrary I'm the only one who can. If it comes from me, he might believe that we want him there."

Leo is not convinced but she doesn't give them time to change her mind as she is already moving toward the door.

Paul signals to Leo that he will make sure she's ok, then he follows her.

He himself has had to deal with the terrible blow that not only her death but the child's death has dealt his kind. But for Prue's sake, he has pushed aside his own pain, knowing that no matter how much time passes, his death will forever be a burden that he will carry.

At the funeral home, they haven't closed the coffin yet, and Cole is there, sitting by it, without a word or a tear. Contrary to what they thought, he had spent the last 3 nights in this place. He still couldn't accept what happened. Every time he looks at her, the sharp pain returns and in those moments, he is not sure of what he wants to do. He feels that he cannot return to what he was, but on the other hand, by moments, the thought of violence appeals to him, as if it could stop the pain. He has made sure that he wouldn't meet any of them during those 3 days because somehow he thinks that seeing their pain will make this more real and also, he couldn't stand the look of pity in their eyes. Yet he couldn't help himself but return here every night, where he felt he was closer to her in spite of the fact that now, her body was only an empty shell. 

Behind him, in an alcove, the whitelighter from the store is there, watching him. He also has been coming here, and from the look of him, Cole's pain as well as her death has devastated him. This time though, he orbs right by Cole's side after a while, knowing that Cole has even been avoiding the people of the funeral home, and would have gone if he had heard him approaching.

Cole jumps at the sight of the whitelighter and almost shimmers, but the man puts his hand on him and says:

"Please stay."

Cole is unsure of who the man is, or what he wants, but he doesn't go.

The man:

"Thank you, I needed to talk to you but I didn't know how."

Cole doesn't answer, turning to her instead.

The man continues:

"I know that it must hurt terribly, and I didn't want to ad to your burden. But I feel I must tell you something."

Finally after a moment where he doesn't seem to want to continue, Cole turns to him:

"What do you mean," he asks with a slightly threatening voice? "Talk."

The man sighs:

"I think that I know who killed her."

That definitely got a reaction from Cole. He moved closer to the man:

"Talk now," he said with a growing impatience.

The man:

"First, you have to remember that no matter what, you can't change what happened, and I'm telling you this only so that you know.

You won't be able to do anything about it. I just felt responsible."

Cole is now more suspicious:

"Who are you?"

The man sighs heavily and looks in Phoebe's direction before turning back to him:

"I'm your father."

Cole is genuinely surprised. He had no real memory of his father or ever seen a picture for that matter. His mother had seen to it that his memory was long forgotten by the time that he had become completely evil. Only his own curiosity had pushed him to learn more about him, and the fact that he had received a sizable inheritance from him.

Even though Leo had told him about his father being a whitelighter, he never thought that he would see him. Let alone in those circumstances.

But then he also remembered his last admission:

"What do you mean responsible?" He asks in a broken voice

Benjamin:

"It was your mother…"

To Cole, it's like he planted a knife in his chest. Of all the possibilities, he had never anticipated that it had been his fault. At least, not that much…

Benjamin could see the terrible pain in his son's eyes but he couldn't find the words that would end his torment and, before he could say anything, Cole shimmered out.

Just then, he heard a noise coming from the next room and he retreated rapidly in the alcove. The people from the funeral home came to close the coffin, and the sound of the lid closing made him flinch. But after they left, what horrified him was to see the shadow coming toward the coffin. He didn't dare move, and just observed what she did.

She materialized to the woman he remembered, and gestured toward the coffin, making the lid come up again. Then both her and Phoebe's body disappeared. The lid slowly closed again…


	4. Till Death Do Us Part (2)

Till Death do us Part (2) ****

Till Death do us 

(Part two)

Paul and Prue got to the mausoleum expecting to find Cole there, but he wasn't in it, and even after they had waited for hours he never showed up. Prue had even tried calling for him, to no avail. By now, it was time to go to the funeral, and Prue couldn't move. She was wondering if her staying there had to do with wanting to find him, or if it was her way to delay the inevitable. She couldn't accept her sister's death. She knew that all the others had realized that, even though she had thought that she had gotten over this attitude about death. But right now, she didn't care one way or the other about being right or wrong. She was just angry.

Paul took her hand at last, and said that it was time to go. She still resisted for a moment, then she relented.

Paul, as they were walking toward the nearby church:

"Prue, I know it's difficult, but I think that you should let it out. It's not healthy what you're doing."

Prue:

"I can't! It seems so impossible that I can't accept it. After all we've been through, that she died of an unexplainable death, and I wasn't even there with her. I couldn't save her."

Paul wrapping his arm around her, pulls her to him and then continues:

"Prue there is no way for you to know that you could have done anything. The doctors all said that she didn't suffer any trauma at all. It had to be an illness, even though they do not know which, but you most probably couldn't have done anything."

Prue just shrugs and pulls herself away from him. She feels so angry, but in the end, she's angrier with herself than anybody else.

After the service, in the cemetery, the family was around the grave and Prue thought that she saw him from afar. She almost went to him, but when she looked again, nobody was there.

The look on their faces, he didn't want to see. And mostly, he didn't want them to know how responsible he was for her death. Unable to stand this sight anymore, he shimmered back into their room. Seeing the place where they had been so happy made the anger boil in him and he just trashed the room violently. After a moment though, realizing what he was doing, he fell on his knees, crying for the first time since she died…

By the time they came home, he was gone, but when Prue went to her sister's room, she found the place devastated and understood exactly what happened. Instead of anger though, all she felt was sorrow. Then, the tears that she had not cried even at the funeral started rolling down her cheeks. It was as if seeing her room like this really told her that she was now truly gone, and her sobbing became louder and out of control. Piper, alerted by this, came into the room also. At first she just said:

"What the?"

But then she saw the devastated expression on her sister's face and she forgot all about the disaster going to her quickly. Now at least they could share the pain. After a long moment, spent, they looked back at the room, almost feeling the pain and anger that had been expressed here.

Piper:

"Oh my God Prue! What's going to become of him if that is how he reacted?"

Prue:

"I don't know," she answers in a little voice. "I really don't know."

Back at the mausoleum, Cole just sat quietly, all anger gone. Now, he only felt pain. That's the moment his father chose to appear to him again, but when he tried to tell him about his mother, Cole just looked at him with a hard expression and shimmered away. For the next week or so, his father came back to the place many times, always hoping that he would find him, but he never came back and Benjamin was thinking that maybe, he had left forever. Who knows what he would be doing from then on?

By then, Prue and Piper with Leo's help had begun their lives without her. They had managed to repair the damage Cole had done to the room and had closed the door to it. Each of them passing in front of it every day was tempted to enter it, but they couldn't bring themselves to do it afterward. 

Meanwhile, in a very different place, Elizabeth, Cole's mother, was thinking of her victory with delight. She had been watching the house and her only disappointment was that until now, she had not seen him back there. But she knew that she was holding the key that would bring him back to her…

She moved toward an alcove where there was some kind of a bed. And on it, Phoebe was lying down, totally immobile, apparently as dead as she had been the week before when she took her there. But in reality, Phoebe was wide-awake, only unable to talk or move. The sensation was torture, and she knew that his mother enjoyed her pain. She didn't remember exactly when or how, all she knew is that sometimes days earlier, she had awakened in this place. She had no idea how she had gotten there. And ever since, she had tried to keep hope that someone would come and rescue her. But by now, she had become aware that no one knew where she was or that she was even alive. Elizabeth had enjoyed telling her all about the funeral and how she now was under her control. 

Every so often, she would return like now, sometimes saying nothing and other times, venting her grievances against her. Of course Phoebe wasn't able to respond to these accusations and recriminations. But what made it even worse, was the thought of Cole's pain and of her child's terrible destiny. Elizabeth had also been very eloquent on what her intentions were for him:

"If Cole doesn't come back to me, at least I'll have his child, and from what I've gathered, he might be even more powerful than his father is. But don't keep your hopes up little one," she had said. "He will come back to me, as he was before and I'll have them both."

Phoebe was getting more desperate after each of those monologues of hers. She knew that she was revealing all of her plans to her because there would be no way for Phoebe to tell anyone. She had been let out of the paralysis only long enough to eat and then put back under many times. At those times, at first she had hoped that she could escape, but Elizabeth had made it clear that even if she did, there was nowhere to go. The place where they were was probably not even in their world, and Elizabeth had also told her that a dark priestess had shielded it even from the dark side, as a favor to her. Still, through all this, Phoebe couldn't understand how she would make him turn to her. That is the only thing that she had never told her. However, she had the terrible feeling that she would be responsible for what was to happen, and her torment continued…

It had been 2 weeks now, and at the manor, the girls and their men all felt the pain still. The silences were long and awkward. But one night Piper came home with a happy smile, and she came to Prue hoping that her news would brighten her spirit:

"Prue?"

Prue turned to her with little enthusiasm:

"Yes?"

Piper' smile faded a little:

"Well I hope that you will be happy for Leo and me…"

Prue suddenly seems more interested:

"What?"

Piper:

"We are going to have a baby…"

Prue smiled frankly at that and hugged her sister:

"Oh my god that is so wonderful. I know that you wanted it."

Piper suddenly becomes more serious:

"I would have just wished that I could share this joy with all of you…"

This again brings back the Phoebe's memory, and it takes them a moment before they can talk again. Then Prue begins:

"You know what? She just would've wanted you to be happy. Don't you think?"

Piper:

"I know."

Prue asks more animatedly:

"So, am I the first to know?"

Piper:

"Yes, I didn't tell Leo yet. I was planning some kind of a dinner celebration before telling him."

Prue:

"That sounds wonderful. And I'm sure that he will be thrilled."

Piper smiles too.

Outside, Cole is observing the house with an inscrutable expression. He has been to many places until now, and he's pondering going back to see the girls. He is still very confused. Without her, he cannot find his way. He has measured himself by her standards for so long that now he wonders if he ever was truly good. No matter the numerous proofs of it, he still can't be sure. In the last few weeks, he has had impulses that scared him. The pain had been so terrible that he had been seeking for relief, first in actual drunken binges, then in just moving around from world to world, even trying to catch a glimpse of the other Phoebes that he knew of. But he knew in his heart that only one of them had been the love of his life and now she was gone.

He could feel the pain returning again and he turned around, not wanting to look at the house anymore. That is when he found himself face to face with his father.

Benjamin:

"Please stay," he said in a pleading voice. "I have been trying to find you."

Cole, with a flat voice:

"I can't see why, we do not have anything to talk about."

Benjamin, more insistent now:

"Yes we do, son. There is something that you must know about Phoebe."

Cole's expression turns angry now, and he almost screams at him:

"Don't you talk about her." 

Benjamin:

"I know that you are angry with yourself and me probably too, but it's really important that you listen. There may be a reason to hope."

Cole is stunned, it is too much like what he has dreamed of and rejected so many times in the last two weeks. 

Benjamin continues when he sees that he got his attention:

"I think that your mother has taken her somewhere. I saw her take her body from the coffin two weeks ago.

Cole now loses the small hope that he had:

"And what difference would it make? She'd still be dead. But be that as it may, I know that she's at the cemetery and nowhere else, I saw them put her in the ground," he says in a hoarse voice.

Benjamin:

"No all you saw was the coffin, I swear to you, Phoebe wasn't in it."

Cole can't help but feel a hint of hope coming through the pain, but he is still not going to believe him completely:

"Even if it were true, what would she want with her body?"

Benjamin:

"What if we were all mistaken?"

Cole:

"What?"

Benjamin hesitates:

"What if she found a way to at least revive her?

Or even to have faked her death very convincingly."

Cole:

"That is insane," but even as he is arguing, the little hope is growing.

Cole continues hesitantly:

"Why…" he licks his lips and doesn't even understand why he lets himself hope like this, but he can't help it. 

"Why would she do that?" 

Benjamin:

"There could be many reasons, one of which is that she would want the baby…"

Cole's heart skips a beat at this. The baby, he couldn't even bring himself to think about him until now.

"Then," Benjamin continues, "she might also think that losing her would bring you back to her. This way she would win both ways. If you didn't turn evil, she might use Phoebe to make you do anything she wanted."

At this point, Cole knows that if that were true he would do anything to see Phoebe again. And he makes a decision on the spot and leaves without saying anything else. 

Benjamin is so surprised that he doesn't think of stopping him fast enough, and then wonders if he didn't make things worse…


	5. Till Death Do Us Part (3)

Till Death Do Us Part (3) ****

Till Death Do Us

(Part 3)

Leo was very surprised at Piper's idea. He had not expected her to be in the mood to go out, let alone plan such an elaborate dinner and evening. By dessert, Piper smiled happily at him, and he got the feeling that at the very least the healing process had begun for her. If not for Prue, who was giving them serious reasons to worry, in spite of some show of emotions on her part.

Piper:

"Leo, I have something to tell you," she said with such a smile that he really started to wonder, a bit nervous actually.

Leo:

"What is it?"

Piper:

"What would you say of a little whitelighter running around the house?"

At first, it took him a moment to even understand what she was talking about. Then his stunned expression told Piper that her surprise was complete.

Piper continued when he said nothing:

"Hey aren't you happy?" She had asked this half-seriously.

Leo:

"Sorry, I needed a moment to take it in. Is it for real?" His face now the picture of pure happiness, which brought back the smile on her face.

Piper:

"The doctor confirmed it today. I wasn't sure before and I didn't want to get your hopes up."

Leo:

"This is wonderful," he says bending toward her over the table and knocking down a glass. He was confounding himself in excuses but contrary to her usual obsession with neatness, she just laughed and closed the gap between them to kiss him.

Leo:

"You're finding new ways to make me happier every day…"

Piper:

"I'm trying," she answers with a little twinkle in her eyes.

Cole had been looking around for some sign of his mother. He had made great efforts until now to stay well away from her circle of influence, but obviously, she had somehow found him anyway. And now he knew, she was punishing him for what she considered his betrayal.

It had taken her a long time to erase every part of humanity in him at first. She had even gotten help from the worst demons to drill him in her ways. Before he had met Phoebe, what he had been had just been a vague memory. Evil had eventually taken him over and purged every trace of his humanity. But Phoebe had given this back to him. Just thinking about her hurt him again and he had to force himself to focus on the task at hand. That had also been a big part of his training. "Be the best," she had said, "you owe this to me. I made you to be the most powerful of demons, and I intend to see it happen."

And it had. Now he was thinking of how proud of her son she had been then. How vile and monstrous she had managed to make him. But in all honesty, he had to admit that it had not been so difficult. In retrospect, he thought, maybe I never even really tried to fight my instincts. Thinking about this shamed him.

However, in this dark place, he had to keep his wits about himself and he moved slowly but with all the assurance that he could muster. He had to look the part if there was even one chance in a million that it could bring her back. There, some of his mother's underlings were milling about and he had all intention of learning everything he could from them. By any means…

It never occurred to him that he should have asked for help from Phoebe's sisters. He had always thought that he worked better alone.

At the manor, Paul had spent the evening with Prue. Ever since Phoebe's death, she had had many ups and downs. But now he couldn't quite figure out what was the matter with her. She seemed almost serene by moments, then her mood would darken again. In either state, it was almost torture to get her to even talk. He didn't mind this too much, but he knew that there was something the matter with her, something more.

Paul:

"Prue, is there something you're not telling me, something that changed?"

Prue:

"Well yes, but I cannot quite decide whether I should be happy about it or not. I mean it is great news but at the same time it just makes me so mad that Phoebe was robbed of her happiness." 

Paul is now very confused and surprised at her sudden outburst:

"What are you talking about?"

Prue turns to him, a bit irritated, but then she remembers that he doesn't know:

"I probably should not tell you, since it's her affairs of course…"

Paul:

"You're confusing me more by the moment."

Prue almost smiles at the look on his face:

"Well ok, but you have to promise me to look very surprised when Piper tells you."

Paul:

"Promised, now get me out of my misery."

Prue:

"Ok, Piper just got great news today. Her and Leo are pregnant."

Paul:

"Oh that's great! Isn't it?" He ads when again her mood darkens.

Prue:

"Yes it is. But why couldn't Phoebe…"

Paul:

"Prue, I know that what happened was terrible, but life has to go on, and you still have so much to do."

Prue:

"Why do I put this burden on you? I know that you have your own reasons to grieve."

Paul:

"Your happiness is important to me Prue. When you're ready to talk, you know that you can." 

She smiles, but still sadly:

"Maybe soon…"

Paul:

"I'll be there whenever you need me."

Prue leans on his chest, grateful for simply his presence, which has been the only thing that kept her from insanity those last few weeks. Him, as well as Piper and Leo, who gave her time to heal and, at the same time, kept her going. That thought also brings back to her that Cole didn't have the benefit of a shoulder to cry or someone to talk to. She can't help but think that it could be the end of his efforts for good, and she is surprised herself at how much it pains her.

Cole had finally found someone to talk to, or at least who would talk to him. The demon had not been very cooperative at first, as he was aware of his change of heart, but Cole had been very convincing…

He was now following the tip the demon had given to him.

And there she was, exactly as the demon had told him. It never occurred to him that it might have been a little too easy.

He went to her with all the rightful anger that he felt, and all she did in response was to smile triumphantly:

"Son, you're back…"

Cole:

"Yes and if you don't tell me what you did with her, you'll feel my wrath."

Elizabeth:

"What makes you think that I have her?"

But the look she gave him told him everything he needed to know. She had not even tried to hide it.

Cole:

"Is she alive," he asks almost pleadingly, which displeased her?

Elizabeth:

"I see that you haven't completely returned to me," she says with a sharp intonation. "All I can say is, maybe."

Cole comes closer to her, his expression hard and determined:

"Tell me now," he says in a low and threatening voice. But his mother won't be intimidated:

"We're not there yet. You will have to earn the information…

However, I will make this one easy for you."

Cole, still angry, towers over her.

Elizabeth:

"As much as you may want to kill me now, know that if you do, you will never know whether of not she is alive. And if she is, you will be the cause of her death."

Cole takes a step back, but he still looks at her with the same anger:

"What do you want?"

Elizabeth:

"That's more like it. Well, what I want is for you to get me rid of your father."

Cole gasps:

"You can't be serious."

Elizabeth waits a moment and then she smiles cruelly:

"For a chance to save your witch, it's not that much to ask. You don't even really know him…And besides, it's his fault."

Cole:

"What do you mean?"

Elizabeth:

"He's the one who led me to you."

Cole is incredulous:

"How can you try to put this on him."

Elizabeth:

"He knew that I was watching him, but he still went to get a look at you.

After this, all I had to do was lead him astray, while a human did the job for me. No one ever suspected."

Cole is now thinking back to their conversation and the expression his father had when he told him that he felt responsible. In spite of himself, now he was angry with him too.

Elizabeth continues in a persuasive tone of voice:

"You see, he did this to her and you, just as much as I did. If you kill him, I'll even let you go to her. 

Cole is now thinking about this and can't help but ask:

"If I'm going to do this…"

Elizabeth:

"Go on…"

Cole:

"I want to know if she's alive first."

Elizabeth moved her hand in a circle and the image of Phoebe came in front of him. At first, he saw her still immobile on a bed. She seemed dead, and his heart sunk, even though he tried to hide it from his mother. But when Phoebe was released from the paralysis in front of him, he couldn't help but show his emotions and his mother told him then:

"Do it and you better hurry. She might not be worth your while for much longer…"

The image faded away.

Elizabeth:

"The kind of life, if you can call it that, she has now will most certainly drive her insane very soon…"

Cole again moves toward her threateningly, but he knows as much as she does that he won't risk killing her.

Then in a hoarse voice he says:

"I'll do it…"

Elizabeth:

"Don't think that you can fool me, I'll be watching you as I have been for quite a while now. " 

Cole doesn't answer this, for he knows that she's telling the truth. 

He doesn't lose any more time there, and shimmers out. Elizabeth grins at her own cleverness:

"Yes do it and then you'll be mine again, no matter what you think."

Cole started to plan his kill, he knew just the way to get one of those bows that would end his father's life, and he set out to get it right away…

At the manor, Piper and Prue were in a good mood for a change and talked about the pregnancy, making plans and hoping that this time everything would be for the best.

The doorbell interrupted them. Outside, when Prue opened the door, she found only a note on the porch. The note was short and rather mysterious:

"I need to talk to you, come to the mausoleum. It's about your sister."

The note wasn't signed but Prue thought that it looked like Cole's handwriting, albeit a little shaky. She wasn't sure that there was a point in going to see him now anyway, but the tone of the note intrigued her.

Piper came to her and read the note over her shoulder:

"What does that mean?"

Prue:

"Your guess is as good as mine. Why would anybody want to talk to us about Phoebe. I assume that is who they meant?"

Piper came to the same conclusion as Prue:

"Do you think it's him? After all, the mausoleum is where he always goes when upset."

Prue:

"It's possible, but after what we saw, what will be his state of mind?"

Piper:

"I still think that we should go and see. But maybe we should have Leo come along, just in case."

Prue:

"I guess…"

At the mausoleum, Cole was now waiting. He knew that his father would come back. He had been too insistent in wanting to talk to him. 

He didn't have to wait long. As if his father had been watching him, he soon arrived…

The girls were just getting to the cemetery, and now they could see him outside the mausoleum, but he wasn't alone…

He seemed to have an animated discussion with another man and Leo reacted at this.

"What is he doing here?"

Piper and Prue turned to him askance:

"Who is that?"

Leo just moved faster toward the two men.

They were facing each other and Cole seemed really angry with the other man. Then this one took a step back, as if to ward his attack and Cole materialized the Darklighter's bow he had procured. Without waiting, he shot his father with it and then shimmered out rapidly.

The girls had watched this, horrified.

Leo ran to the falling whitelighter, but was afraid that he could not do much for him.

The shadow had been observing and now she vanished from behind a tomb nearby.

She returned to the place where they had met before and he was already there, waiting for her. The look on his face was now very different from before and she knew right then that she had been right. Killing an innocent had brought back his instinct fully.

Elizabeth:

"How do you feel son?"

Cole:

"What do you care?" He asks, almost offhandedly.

Elizabeth smiled:

"Do you want to see the witch still?"

Cole:

"I want you to get me there, yes. She carries my child and I want him."

Elizabeth:

"And her?"

Cole smiles cruelly:

"I think that I'll have some fun with her. But if she doesn't agree with me, and after she gave me the baby of course, I'll let you decide what you want to do."

Elizabeth:

"Don't think your mother is a fool Belthazor, I will be observing you…"

Cole:

"Suit yourself. But don't get in my way."

Elizabeth:

"Then, come with me." She took his arm and transported him to her hideaway…

In the cemetery, Leo had just gotten at the spot where Benjamin had fallen and he quickly bent toward him, hoping that he could still heal him. But when he touched him, Benjamin opened his eyes and took his hand away from himself. Then he pulled the arrow out of his chest with a grimace of pain and a scream. Leo was looking at him in astonishment. By all account, the whitelighter should have been dead or dying by now.

When the sisters arrived in turn they also looked at him uncomprehending.

Prue:

"How?"

Benjamin seemed surprised at first to find them there but somehow a look of understanding dawned on his face as he was getting up.

Then he said cryptically:

"She really wanted to cut everything away."

Leo:

"What the heck are you talking about? And what just happened," he asked impatiently?

Benjamin still looked around for a moment. Even though, he couldn't feel her presence around, he still wanted to make sure that she wouldn't find out what they had done. Then he turned back to the others:

"She wanted you here to make sure that you would not trust him ever again, probably just in case killing me didn't wake his instincts…"

Leo:

"You know that you were not allowed to see him," he says angrily. "Let alone consort with him. And who is "She"?"

Prue:

"More to the point Leo, Who is he?"

Benjamin answered for him:

"I'm Cole's father and I'm here to help, even if it costs me my wings."

Leo:

"What happened?"

Benjamin:

"Maybe we should go to the manor. I don't want her to find out that I'm still alive, it would ruin everything."

The others don't understand and they make him promise that he will explain himself before moving away with him.

Cole and his mother materialized in the room where Phoebe had been returned to the bed and paralyzed. Cole had to make a great effort not to run to her, but he maintained the façade for his mother, and prepared to give her the show that she wanted to see:

"So, you got her real quite there. Good for you... I never could do that."

Elizabeth gave a look of contempt toward Phoebe:

"Yes she's a feisty one, but right now she can be all yours at your whim if you want that…"

Cole gave Phoebe a cold look and turned back to his mother:

"I prefer my women a little more animated." 

Elizabeth looked at him questioningly, but then:

"Well, since you're being so receptive I might give you the chance. But won't she be a little less cooperative now," she asks with a smile, letting him know that Phoebe could hear everything that was said.

Cole:

"I also enjoy a little resistance. It heightens the pleasure," he says, smiling luridly. "That's going to make for a nice change, I was starting to get bored with her."

Phoebe couldn't believe what he was saying, yet the fact that he was here confirmed her worst fears. When Elizabeth had told her what he was going to do, she had sunk into despair but then, she had also hoped that Elizabeth was lying. Now she could see that it had been the truth. All at once, she remembered everything that they had been to each other and it all took a dark and horrible meaning.

He was coming closer now, and all she wanted was to be able to hurt him as much as he was hurting her.

Elizabeth was giddy with her complete victory. She had her son back, she was now sure of this. 

"Would you like to try this right now son?"

Cole turns to her coldly:

"Like I said women on their back are rather boring."

Elizabeth:

"Seeing that you are now more cooperative, I'm sure I can arrange that."

She gestured toward Phoebe to release her. This one didn't lose time. As soon as she was free, she jumped out of the bed and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. But instead of anger, she just saw the hard smile widening.

"Stay away from me, you bastard. How could you?"

He didn't answer, and instead he took her arm rudely, twisting it, the sharp pain made her scream in spite of herself.

Elizabeth is pleased and laughs:

"Well, I'll leave you lovebirds at your little exercise," she says before leaving the room, still laughing.

As soon as she has left, Cole releases her arm and Phoebe steps away from him, not looking at him anymore. 

Turning around, she told him:

"Go away, you won't get my child or me; I'll kill myself first."

Cole:

"Phoebe, I'm so sorry." This was said in such a low and pained voice that she couldn't help looking back at him. 

However, she was still angry in spite of the little hope that she now felt:

"Sorry for what? Hurting me or killing your own father?"

A knife twisting in his chest would not have hurt him more. He tried to explain:

"Phoebe I…"

She stopped him:

"Don't play games with me, I just had about enough of this from you."

Cole is now almost angry and he moves toward her quickly, not leaving her time to step away.

"You will listen," he says harshly.

Phoebe:

"Or what? You'll call her back to put me in that bed again? Maybe a woman on her back is all you can hope for…"

Cole feels every word painfully:

"It is not what you think…"

Phoebe:

"And what is it? She told me that she would not let you come here until you had done what she asked, and you are here," she says with a suddenly colder voice.

He wanted so much to tell her everything, but at this moment he sensed his mother watching and knew that he had to act accordingly or she might kill Phoebe just to punish him, no matter what she said.

Rather than answering her, he took her by the waist and kissed her passionately as she was hitting him, trying to get away. But even as she tried, she couldn't help but feel the need for him and hated herself for it.

Cole could feel that his mother, satisfied, had stopped watching, but at this point they were not exactly fighting anymore.

Still when he let go of her, she pushed him away.

This time he was not going to let her interrupt, time was of the essence:

"Phoebe you have to listen to me now. I don't know how long we have before she comes back."

Phoebe was about to tell him off, but his tone of voice stopped her.

She didn't know what to think anymore, but somehow the little hope that was growing in her allowed her to let him finish.

Cole:

"My father is alive," he said in a very low voice that made her doubt that she heard right:

"What did you say?"

He came cautiously closer:

"He's alive, I did to her what she did to us, and we faked his death."

Phoebe feels like an enormous weight is being lifted from her chest. But she still asks:

"And all that you told her…"

He grimaces:

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean a word of it. You know that, don't you?"

Almost back to her old self she can't help but ask:

"Not even the part about it being boring now?"

He smiles at her change of attitude:

"Definitely not," he says taking her in his arm and kissing her to prove it.

"You have no idea how horrible it was."

Phoebe:

"Oh I think I do. But can you get me out of here?"

The painful expression that appears on his face tells her it will not be an option.

Cole:

"I can't, she holds almost all the cards Phoebe. But that doesn't mean that I won't do anything. I have a plan that will convince her to let me come and go from this place as I want. Then we will be able to escape."

Phoebe:

"What plan?"

Cole hesitates:

"The one where I kill your sisters…"

Phoebe:

"What?"

But before he could answer, the demoness reenters the room and Cole changes attitude immediately:

"You may resist me now, but believe me I'll have what I want from you soon…"

Elizabeth:

"The little girl is giving you trouble?"

Cole:

"Nothing that I can't handle, but for now I have more interesting things to do."

Elizabeth:

"Like what?"

Cole turns to Phoebe with pleading eyes and she tries very hard to believe that there is a good explanation to what he said, then she starts on the role assigned to her, but doesn't find it too difficult to look angry given what he has said.

When he looks back at his mother, the cold smile has returned to his lips:

"I'm going to kill me a couple witches…"

Elizabeth is surprised:

"Really?" She questions.

Cole:

"They have been on my back since day one, now I will give them what they deserve at last. What I should have done a year ago."

Phoebe:

"How could you," she asks, angry and horrified?

Cole gives her his best evil look:

"What do you expect from a demon?"

Elizabeth:

"I knew that you couldn't be lost to me. Come with me, I'll help you."

Cole:

"I don't need help to kill them, I would have succeeded last year if I had not gone crazy. It's over now."

Elizabeth:

"At least let me go to observe. I'll take great pleasure in seeing them die," she says, turning a cruel smile toward Phoebe.

Phoebe throws herself on the bed as they depart, and although she is grateful that the demoness let her free, she feels the weight returning and choking her now. "Please let everything be alright." She thinks to herself.

Meanwhile, Benjamin was explaining his part in all of this:

"I know that I was wrong, but I couldn't resist coming to see him. I should have known that she was watching me. She was always so clever, but I couldn't come and tell him that she was there by my fault. I failed him once already, and I couldn't let him know that I had done it to him again. So I followed her to try to prevent anything bad from happening, but she figured it out and devised another plan. Using, from what I learned, a voodoo priestess and her own powers afterward, she faked Phoebe's death. While I was watching her, the priestess was doing the deed for her. Elizabeth probably made sure that any procedure that they could have done to her didn't happen. Keeping her alive to use her against Cole…"

He pauses a moment, then after the awkward silence, he continues:

"Then afterward, I was too ashamed to tell any of you. It took me a long time to get to him. Eventually I have been able to tell him about his mother but she told him about me. He was truly angry, but not enough to hurt me. And he told me what he had planned to do. She added your presence, hoping that it would be the last nail in his coffin. Now that you would think he was evil, he couldn't have returned to you anymore, and the only choice left to him would have been her.

But there is something else…"

Prue:

"What?"

Benjamin:

"He told me that the only way that she would ever let him free to take Phoebe back is if she thought that he truly was evil. And the way to do this has to do with both of you," he says looking intently at Prue and Piper.

Prue asks suspiciously:

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

Benjamin hesitates but he knows there is no time to lose:

"He will come here and try to kill you."

Piper:

"What?"

Benjamin:

"You got to listen to me if you want your sister back. This will have to look very convincing…"

Prue:

"Believe me if he tries to kill us, he will die very convincingly…"

Benjamin is horrified by her reaction:

"He won't really do it, but he told me of your friend the wizard and that he had thought of something."

Barely calmer, Prue says:

"We're listening…"

Outside the manor, Cole and his mother materialized a few hours later, after he had made his plan. He had tried as much as he could to stall this so that his father could have time to convince Prue and Piper. But even so, right now he had to hold back a sigh of relief at seeing Paul's car in the driveway. He had been afraid that Prue would be too stubborn to believe him. Although his mother had unwillingly provided them with at least some proof that he wasn't completely evil. 

Cole:

"We should wait until the wizard has left."

Elizabeth:

"What, you're scared," she asked dejectedly?

He just looked at her calmly, in spite of the insult:

"I was not considered the best for nothing mother. I'll get the wizard when it's the time. Now I don't want anything or anyone to interfere with me."

She's not quite convinced yet, but the look of determination on his face leads her to believe that it might be true. Still, she promises herself to punish him harshly if he lied.

She knows that in spite of what he said, he still lusts for the witch, and she wouldn't hesitate to take her away from him. 

Cole ads:

"At any rate what's one more hour or two? They still will be just as dead then than now."

Elizabeth is fooled by his attitude, or at least Cole thinks that she is…

Inside the house, the girls are preparing for the worst:

Prue:

"Piper you are sure that you will be ok?"

Piper:

"That is the only way to save Phoebe and I will help, no matter what."

Prue:

"But the baby?"

Piper:

"The baby will be fine and Paul assured us that there would be only minimal risk. I think that we can trust him."

Prue:

"I wish I could say the same about Cole. If only he would have told us about it first, maybe I would be more inclined to believe it…"

Piper:

"I think that I just figured out why you and him fight so much," she says with a little laugh, "I don't know why I didn't see it before."

Prue:

"What are you talking about?"

Piper takes a step back just in case, then she says:

"That's because you're acting exactly the same…"

Prue is offended:

"How could you compare me to him?"

Piper:

"You both try to do things by yourself all the time and we always have to tell you about teamwork…"

Prue feels that her sister hit the nail, but she won't admit it:

"Don't compare me to him. He's a demon for Pete sake."

Piper just smiles knowingly and doesn't insist.

Meanwhile, Leo and Benjamin had returned to the Elders. Benjamin knew that they would not be very happy with him, but he still had to try and explain himself. Leo, for his part was getting ready to play his role in the little scheme they had devised. He didn't relish his particular role but knew that it was necessary for believability. Still, he was really hoping that Cole was truly on their side at the moment…

For all the planning, the whole thing lasted but a few seconds. Cole moved into action the moment that Paul had left the house and, not waiting for his mother, shimmered inside. She followed right away but staying in her shadow form, as an observer. She relished every bit of what she saw then:

Cole had shimmered in the living room and quickly moved toward the dining room when he didn't find them there. He entered the room in his demon form and the girls showed genuine surprise at seeing him there. He barely hesitated, and threw a fireball in Prue direction, which she deflected, then she tked him away going closer to Piper to try and give him a stronger front, but he didn't attack them like that anymore. Instead, he shimmered behind Prue and before she could react, he put his hands on her head and twisted it until a terrible crunching sound was heard, then he materialized a knife and a distraught Piper didn't have time to react before he planted it in her chest. Right then, Leo orbed in, and Cole seeing that he might try to heal them jumped at him and threw him violently against a wall. The whitelighter fell heavily on the floor and didn't get back up. Cole then looked upon his handiwork with a triumphant smile and waited for his mother to come and verify that it was real, as he knew she would.

He didn't have to wait long as she materialized right beside him with a cruel smile on her lips:

"Son, I knew you had it in you. Now the Source won't be on your back anymore, and you will be able to return to your old ways."

Cole says harshly:

"I want the witch and my child."

Elizabeth:

"Of course, but only if you promise to share his powers with me."

Cole:

"We will see mother," he says with a hard expression and she is now more convinced than ever that he is back.

"Come with me, she'll be all yours to do as you please."

Cole smiled as if imagining the tortures he was going to inflict on her or so his mother thought. Then he looked again at the now dead witches and the unconscious whitelighter before following his mother to claim his prize…


	6. Till Death Do Us Part (4)

Till Death Do Us Part (4) ****

Till Death Do Us

(Part 4)

After they departed, everything was very quiet in the house, and Leo finally started to move, moaning a little. Paul materialized right beside the sisters, a look of worry on his face that didn't escape Leo:

"Are they ok?"

Paul:

"Yes, of course," he said, but still went toward them anxiously. The poison he gave them to take still having effect on them, they had not returned to consciousness yet, and he administered injections of some kind to both of them. Thankfully, after a few seconds, they both woke up.

Leo went to Piper and helped her up while Paul did the same with Prue:

"So how did it go?"

Prue:

"Well all I can say is that Hollywood stuntmen don't have as good a time as I thought. For a second there, I really thought he was breaking my neck. That was a very unpleasant feeling."

Paul:

"And his mother?"

Piper:

"Well we can't be sure of course, but I think we were all pretty convincing."

Leo:

"You can say that again. I'm going to have a talk with this demon when this is all over." 

Paul:

"I'm sorry Leo, but for your part, I couldn't think of any trick that would be convincing enough. And besides, you're already dead, aren't you," he says a bit mockingly.

Prue is still very serious though:

"Now how long do you think it will take before he can bring her back?"

Paul:

"I think that it might not be so easy, but at least until now he has played his part to perfection. Let's just hope that she believed it. Then unfortunately it's all up to him. I tried all I could to locate that demoness but her hideout is too well shielded. We need the key so to speak, and hopefully she will give him that…"

Back at the hideaway, Cole doesn't lose time:

"Now that you're satisfied, you will let me take her."

He said this with all the assurance he has accumulated in his years of evil dealings, but inside he was still very scared of what she might be thinking.

Elizabeth:

"I don't think that it's a good idea for you to bring her out of here…

At least, not until the baby is born."

Cole:

"You told me that she would be mine," he says with real anger now.

Elizabeth:

"Cool off, you will be aloud to come at your will. I'm giving you free entry to my domain now, but she cannot get out of here. I won't allow it. She is my only guaranty that you won't change your mind."

Cole has a sinking feeling of defeat now, but he tries his best to hide it:

"I see that you still won't trust me. At this point even the Source would, mother."

Elizabeth:

"He is not I. I know that there is still a chance that the witch could turn you. I will make sure that doesn't happen."

Cole is desperate and still pushes:

"There is nothing that she could do to change me back. Novelty has been gone from this relationship a long time ago." 

Elizabeth still won't budge:

"You see, that might be true, but right now, I prefer guaranties. At least now those witches won't ever be able to interfere with our plans. I am very proud of you son."

Cole:

"I don't need your approval mother," he says in a hard voice.

"I have stopped needing it a long time ago."

Elizabeth:

"As those humans say, you'll always be my boy."

At this Cole starts thinking very fast. He knows that he has to stop insisting for fear that she'll see through his motivations:

"If you say so… But you might have a point." 

Elizabeth:

"How so?

Cole, now more assured:

"You're telling me that I can come here whenever I want, aren't you?"

Elizabeth:

"Yes that is what I said."

Cole:

"Then I might as well leave her here too. This way she won't be able to escape me."

Elizabeth smiles at her son:

"Yes I see that you understand."

Cole:

"I understand that you want to hold her over my head mother. But it doesn't matter. I'm still better off to have her locked up and defenseless."

Elizabeth:

"Well you are turning back to me more and more every moment. Maybe my trust will be justified soon…"

Cole turns toward the room, unable to keep his expression straight anymore:

"Now I would like some time alone with her if you don't mind mother."

Elizabeth:

"I supposed that you deserve it. Just don't hurt her too much, at least not until the child is born. Then, well…"

Cole:

"As you said she's mine now. But I want this child even more than you do mother. Don't worry."

He goes purposefully to the door, not giving her time to change her mind and closes the door behind him in relief.

Phoebe comes to him right away, still free thankfully. She is very anxious to know what happened:

"Cole? What did you do," she asks when she notices his worried expression?

He just looks at her for a moment, still amazed that she is alive and not really listening to what she's saying.

Phoebe:

"Cole what happened to my sisters?"

Finally, he answers:

"Your sisters are fine… At least, I think so…"

Phoebe's eyes grow wide:

"What do you mean you think so?"

Cole:

"I mean I'm sure," he says more assuredly. But the events of the evening have left him a little shaken. For an instant, when he was at the house, he has wondered if it had all worked out as he had planned, or if he truly had done the worst.

But then, he was sure that Paul had done everything he told them. And besides, he knew full well that Piper had not been stabbed, so he stopped worrying about it and just turned his attention back to Phoebe who was still unsure:

"Are you certain of this? I have been torturing myself all day wondering what you meant?"

Cole:

"It's a long story Phoebe, and for now I suggest that we made a little noise to keep her out of here."

Phoebe:

"Like what?"

Cole:

"Screams would be good, and stuff breaking. That might even make you feel better…"

Phoebe:

"I have to agree with this."

And she proceeds to scream at him to the point that he has the feeling she might have been planning the recriminations all that afternoon. He himself makes sure that, as he said, stuff gets noisily broken. After a few minutes of this, he is convinced that she won't bother to come anymore and they stop.

Phoebe calmer now:

"Well that was fun. After all this time without moving, I must say that a little exercise was good."

Cole:

"You mean that you're already tired?"

Phoebe is a bit puzzled:

"You don't think…"

Cole smiles a little:

"Well what if she came back…"

Phoebe:

"You dog."

Cole takes her in his arms and carries her to the bed.

"I missed you."

Phoebe:

"Not more than me…"

If his mother checked on them, she most certainly had no doubts on their activities of the next hour.

At the manor, the girls are becoming impatient.

Prue:

"What is he doing?"

Piper:

"I thought that they would have been back by now."

Prue:

"Something must have gone wrong."

Piper:

"Please don't be so negative. I just got some hope back and I don't want to lose it."

Prue:

"I can't help it. From what Benjamin told us, his mother is a very powerful and suspicious demoness. What if she doesn't let them out?

I just hope that I am wrong. But where is he?"

Meanwhile the sisters were now the farthest thought from their mind. Neither one of them could let the other go. They were touching each other like if it was the first time again. 

For a long while there was nothing beside them that mattered and when he pulled himself away from her reluctantly, she tried to pull him back to her in fear that somehow, it might be the last time also.

Cole:

"I have to go Phoebe."

Phoebe:

"You can't just leave me here."

Cole kissing her again:

"I have to. I can't fight her and I don't know how to bring you out of here. But she gave me the way to come back and I will bring help."

Phoebe is still unsure:

"Promise me, and please come back quickly. I can't stand this place anymore."

Cole:

"I won't take any more time than necessary, I swear. I can't stand to be away from you either. But I'm afraid that the only way to get you out will be to vanquish her, and I don't know how."

Phoebe is suddenly horrified. True, she has no lost love for the monster that held her captive, but she can't help remembering that she is still his mother.

Phoebe:

"Won't it be too hard for you?" She asks softly.

Cole:

"She may be my mother Phoebe, but she is still as evil as they come. I tried to stay as far away from her as I could, even before I knew you.

But now, I know that it's the only way. She will never stop trying to hurt us. And your family also."

Phoebe:

"I'm so sorry."

Cole:

"Don't be, it's something that I should have dealt with before. I actually had managed to forget that she even existed until a few weeks ago, when my father came to me."

At the mention of his father, Phoebe can see that there is something there too:

"What is it?"

Cole just looks at her for a moment, unsure if he should tell her. He lies back with her and then continues, secretly happy to have more time with her even though the subject is painful:

He sighs and then says:

"I was angry with him. He had been the one responsible for everything that happened."

Phoebe caresses his face and tries to encourage him to continue:

"And?"

Cole:

"For a moment Phoebe, I thought of really killing him…

Although, planting an arrow in his chest doesn't really qualify as not doing it."

Phoebe:

"What!"

Cole:

"Don't worry, he is a whitelighter after all, and there was no poison on the arrow. It had to look real and he agreed with it."

Phoebe is more and more astounded:

"He did!"

Cole felt that she might be a little shaken, understandably.

"But I didn't… I swear that idea left my mind long before it happened, you believe me don't you?"

Phoebe:

"Hum! I guess. What about my sisters?" Phoebe was now wondering what he could have done to them after this admission.

Cole:

"You don't think I would…"

Phoebe:

"Of course not. " But then she can't help but ad:

"You didn't, did you."

Cole:

"I don't think that your sisters even had a scratch, although I can't say the same for Leo…"

Phoebe:

"What about Leo?"

Cole:

"You really don't want to know… Suffice to say that they are fine but my mother has good reason to think that they are dead."

Phoebe:

"You know, I'm starting to think that I missed more than I thought, stuck here."

Cole:

"Nothing exciting anyway."

Phoebe:

"From what you're telling me, I wouldn't be so sure."

Cole:

"I can just tell you that you're sisters could make a career in acting.

But now I really have to go Phoebe. I have to go see them and figure out how to finish my mother."

Phoebe:

"That sounded so harsh."

Cole sighs:

"There isn't many other ways I can say this."

Phoebe:

"Alright, but come back soon…"

He extirpates himself from her embrace with a lot of regrets and as soon as he has his clothes on, he shimmers out, leaving Phoebe alone and wondering about his eventual return. She is so worried now that she has to force herself to stay positive.

As they had planned, the girls were now at Paul's house in order to maintain the illusion. He had even hired fake ambulances and actors to go to the manor and pretend to take bodies out of the house. It had been a good idea because Elizabeth had relished watching this after she was sure that Cole and Phoebe would stay put for a while.

Eventually though, she had to return and finding him gone made her

upset. She still worried that he might do something against her. But now at least, she was convinced that the witches were dead. And after all, she told herself, maybe he went to finish the wizard…

At Paul's, they were still waiting anxiously and Prue was pacing the room like if she wanted to leave her mark in the wooden floor:

"Where the hell is he?"

It had been almost two hours and they were despairing to see them back.

Piper:

"Something went wrong, I know that now. Maybe we didn't fool her."

Leo:

"You must not lose hope. Cole is a resourceful man if nothing else. I'm sure that he is trying his best right now."

The one they were talking about finally shimmered back in the house and they practically jumped at him.

Prue:

"Where is she?" She screamed.

Cole:

"My mother wouldn't let me take her away…"

Prue:

"You mean that we did all this for nothing?"

Cole:

"No don't panic, I can still go there and out as I please, which means that I can bring you there."

Piper:

"And how are we supposed to know that it wasn't your plan all along?"

Cole sighs:

"First of all, if I had wanted to kill you or anything like this, I could have done it without inventing that whole scheme."

Prue always the proud:

"If we had not participated in your scheme you probably would be the one rotting in hell right now."

Cole is irritated and says so:

"We both have our opinion on that one. Although I must say that the thought of twisting your neck did have some appeal."

Prue almost tks him then but he lifts his hand to stop her:

"Ok I see that you still can't take a joke."

Piper:

"And I see that your jokes still need a lot of work."

He grimaces at her but continues more seriously:

"Do you have the book?"

Prue:

"Of course," she says still irritated by his comment.

Cole:

"Did you find the spell?"

Prue:

"You know what? I'd like you to change this tone of voice. This was all your fault anyway, again…"

Prue regretted it the moment she had said it but it was too late to take it back.

Cole:

"I see. I have no time for your petty reproaches Prue; Phoebe is still in that place, so if you don't mind let's get back to it."

Prue:

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it the way it sounded."

Cole:

"It doesn't make any difference because it's probably true."

In the silence that followed, the others looked at each other with real unease, but Prue moved to pick up the book:

"Well if we are going to do it, I guess now is as good a time as ever."

He shimmered out without a word and the others followed him with Paul and Leo. The trip was rather weird for them, as they realized that it was different then usual orbings and the sort. It was meandrous sort of, and took them at least 2 minutes, which in transportation as they had gotten used to, was like an eternity.

Prue:

"What was that?"

But instead of answering, Cole went to check the door to the room, while the sisters forgot all about the trip when they finally saw their sister.

Piper:

"Oh my god, we were sure that you were dead."

She hugs her so tight that Phoebe has to pull away.

Phoebe:

"I thought that too for a while you know."

Prue went to her hesitantly as if she couldn't believe it was real.

Phoebe:

"Come on Prue, I'm real, not a ghost."

That is when Prue did something that made them all turn to her. She started crying again and after a fashion, Phoebe went to hug her.

Prue:

"I was so angry Phoebe. Don't ever die again," she says almost with irritation, but that made her sister laugh.

Cole interrupted their moment though, as he heard something.

The girls were already preparing their spell.

When she enters the room, she immediately understands how much her son has betrayed her again, but instead of directing her anger at him, she again tries to put the spell on Phoebe knowing full well that without their power of three they cannot vanquish her. Cole understands her intention and is faster, throwing an energy ball in her direction that doesn't kill her, as he knew it wouldn't. Still it gave them the time that they needed to chant:

"Queen of the Dark, Spreading Evil throughout

You reigned onSorrow, thy evil ways are out

The Dragon Wisdom we invoke against thee

Break the bonds end the Pain, Hear our Plea"

The demoness looked now toward her son and for the most fleeting of moment, he thought he saw regrets, and then she positively peeled away in front of them. In spite of what she had done, Phoebe could feel his pain at this moment and she couldn't look at her dying.

He stared at the place now empty where she had stood and no matter what he thought before, it did hurt.

Phoebe came to him and when she understood his dilemma, she just said:

"That is what it feels to be human." Then they just hugged in silence.

They could finally get Phoebe out of this place and she didn't even give it a second look before they shimmered out followed by the others.

That night they were so tired and so amazed that they were just sitting in the living room silently. But then Piper remembered something and it changed that:

"Hey Phoebe with all this, I forgot to give you the good news."

Phoebe still cuddling to Cole said:

"Hey come on, there cannot be enough good news today."

Piper:

"Well, we're also having a baby."

Phoebe jumped at this:

"Really? Oh wow, that is too good." And she went to congratulate her up close. Leo was just orbing in, returning from a little inquiry they had asked of him and Phoebe jumped at him before he understood what was the outburst about. Then he looked at Piper and, without a word exchanged, he understood.

When the effusions calmed down, they turned to him again to know the answer to their question.

Leo:

"The news is good. The Elders decided against punishing your father Cole. They understood why he did what he did. But in the meantime, he will have a kind of probation. Nothing terrible," he added when he saw their expressions. "And there's something else…"

Behind him, Benjamin orbed in also and Cole couldn't decide if he should go to him or not. Phoebe took him to his father and she shooed them to the foyer.

"Come on, I think you need to talk," and then she ads only for Cole,

"If only to talk about this arrow thing," she said with a mocking grimace.

Cole smiled weakly at the joke attempt and after she left, the two men looked at each other awkwardly, unsure of what there was to say. His father finally broke the silence:

"I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry about the trouble I caused all of you, and I'm so happy it turned out for the best."

Cole simply answered:

"Thanks to you."

Benjamin smiled. Then he was about to simply shake his hand but he took him in his arms instead. Cole simply didn't know where to put himself but he let him.

After his father left, Phoebe came back:

"You know that you have the most interesting family. And you were saying that your past wasn't very exciting."

Cole takes her in his arms:

"Are you sure that you want into this family?"

Phoebe:

"As long as you are a part of it, yes."


End file.
